Natan Sharansky His wife had become religiously observant during his detention, but he did not follow her on this path. Due to his age and poor health, he was exempted from the standard mandatory three years' military service, but had to undergo three weeks of military training and do a stint in the Civil Guard. In 1988, he wrote "Fear No Evil", his memoirs of his time as a prisoner, and founded the Zionist Forum, an organization of Soviet immigrant Jewish activists dedicated to helping new Israelis and educating the public about integration issues, known in Israel as "klita" (lit. "absorption"). Sharansky
Begin the Begin of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987". As the opening track on "Lifes Rich Pageant", the song heralded a new clarity in Stipe's vocals. Written on acoustic guitars in Stipe's home, the original version of the song was a minute longer, with five different choruses, lacking melody and a bridge. Replete with references to Americana and revolution, the title is a pun on Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine". Begin the Begin "Begin the Begin" is the first song on R.E.M.'s fourth album, "Lifes Rich Pageant". Lead singer Michael Stipe has called it "a song of personal, political activism." Though never released as