This striking necklace is a powerful symbol of Jewish identity and resistance. The Star of David pendant, measuring 5cm in diameter, was created by Sylva Zalmanson, a Jewish Prisoner of Conscience in the USSR. It is a unique piece of jewellery that reflects the strength and courage of those who fought for their beliefs.

The necklace was crafted in Israel, and is a wonderful addition to any collection of religious or spiritual artefacts. It is a meaningful and beautiful charm that represents the enduring spirit of Judaism. Whether you are a collector or simply looking for a special piece of jewellery, this necklace is sure to inspire and delight.

Sylva Zalmanson (born Siberia 1944) is a Soviet-born Jewish Prisoner of Zion, human rights activist, artist and engineer who settled in Israel in 1974.

Zalmanson graduated Riga Polytechnic University in 1968, worked as an engineer, and dreamed of living in Israel. Repeatedly requesting and being denied an exit visa to leave the Soviet Union for Israel, Zalmanson and her husband Eduard Kuznetsov became members of a group of activists in a Zionist underground cell which came up with a plan to escape.

Sylva spent four years in Potma women’s penal colony and was later put in solitary confinement, after hitting another camp's inmate who made anti-semitic remarks. On 22 August 1974, Sylva got an early release, due to a secret prisoners exchange between the Soviet government and the Israeli government who caught a Soviet spy, Yuri Linov who was exchanged for Sylva Zalmanson and Heinrich Shefter, a Bulgarian Jew, UN employee who was arrested by the Bulgarian Security Service and sentenced to death for espionage, apparently solely for the purpose of extorting Linov's release.

In Israel, Sylva worked as an engineer in the aerial industry but continued her non-stop activity for the release of her family and friends, including a 16-day hunger strike in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York in 1976, refusing to eat to the point of losing consciousness. Mark Dymshits, Sylva Zalmanson, Edward Kuznetsov attending a rally with approximately 250,000 supporters in New York City, 1979. Most of the group, including Sylva's husband and brother were released in April 1979, due to a prisoners exchange with the American government that caught two Soviet spies in New Jersey. (Source: excerpt from Wikipedia)

We have two .. one gold and one silver