Saul David Alinsky — revered by Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and other progressive radicals — was a man who would grow up fantasizing about organizing hell itself. Born during a cold Chicago winter in 1909, Alinsky’s parents were Russian Jewish immigrants who were strict Orthodox Jews. They divorced when he was 13, and Alinsky moved with his father to Los Angeles, returning later to attend college at the University of Chicago.

By the time Alinsky came back to Chicago, he was no longer practicing Judaism. Instead, he was agnostic, even though he continued to identify with his Jewish heritage throughout his life. He had also changed emotionally and politically. Alinsky had become radicalized and discontented with the United States of America. And he wanted to change the nation he believed was unfair by doing what he enjoyed best: community organizing to overthrow the system.