A Peek Behind the Iron Curtain: An Evening with Author Daniel Grossman

Join us for a captivating and memorable evening with acclaimed author Daniel Grossman, in conversation with Rabbi Doug Kahn about Daniel’s book: “Seeing Red: Spies, Lies and My So-Called Life as a Diplomat.”

Have you ever had one of those days when you’ve had to explain to a leading Senator that the woman approaching his table is actually a Soviet spy hoping to bed and blackmail him? Well, Danny Grossman has. As a twenty-six-year-old diplomat serving in Leningrad during the Cold War, Grossman’s phones were tapped, his home was bugged, his consulate was rocked by something called Chernobyl, his movements were tracked by an ambitious young KGB officer named Vladimir Putin-and that was only the beginning! Grossman also shares how he navigated the political and personal challenges of assisting Jewish “refuseniks” (Soviet citizens denied visas to emigrate) while under surveillance and in a high‑risk diplomatic environment. With autocracy rising around the world, Grossman has written a stunning meditation on the politics of oppression, the nature of dreamers, and the resilience of ordinary people under siege.
Welcome to a very private peek behind the Iron Curtain.