Binningham Girl Brings Touching Message
From Russian Jewry: 'We Shall Meet in Israel '

Because she made a promise, a
pretty Birmingham girl is ready to
tell the pitiful story of Russian
Jewry to whoever will listen.
Karen Goren, 17, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Fred Goren of Stony
River Dr., was in Russia this sum-
mer on a six-week study tour of
Eastern Europe. One of three Jew-
ish students out of 44 teen parti-
cipants in the Foreign Study
League tour. Karen was profoundly
impressed with what she saw and
heard while visiting the Leningrad
and Moscow synagogues on free
time.

Although she met no Jewish
young people ("because the
young people don't go to syna-
gogue"), Karen learned of the
Intense feeling for Jewishness
among the older generation on
her brief visits to the two syna-
gogues.

Prior to her trip, Karen. a stu-
dent at Bloomfield Hills Andover
High School and a consecrant from
Shaarey Zedek Hebrew school, had
only a passing interest in the prob-
lems of Soviet Jewry. But follow-
ing her summer experience. "I'd
like to speak about what I saw.
Only pressure will help them now. -
Following are excerpts from
Karen's Leningrad and Moscow
"diary":

yet 150 people attended services
this Saturday morning of our visit.
Judaism is sure to die out in Rus-
sia. maybe as near as the next
couple decades. When the old peo-
ple die out, so will they take Rus-
sian Judaism to their graves.

"The congregation for the Satur-
day morning service in Moscow
was approximately 400 people.. . .
The women were in the balcony.
and the men on the main floor.
More men wore hats or caps; yar-
mulkas are rare. The prayer books
were extremely worn, yellow with
age, with crumbling pages.

"The service started at 10 a.m.
and went to 12:30 p.m. In the
middle of the service, a couple
of tourist women took four flash
pictures with their cameras. At
the end of the prayer, the rabbi
(Yehuda Leib Levin) turned
around and blew up at the
women. It disturbed the service
greatly. He said something to
the effect, 'In New York you can
use your cameras but not in our
service.'
. There are 700.000 Jews in

Moscow. All Soviet citizens carry
identification cards, but only the
Jews and gypsies have special
stamps on their cards. When asked
why, they say its because Jews
and gypsies are considered nation-
alities with no homeland . . .
"Things began to change for the
Jews beginning about three or four
years ago when Russia opened her
doors to tourists. Religious people
came to see what was actually
going on over there. Jews didn't
even have matzo for Passover. but
with demands and outside pres-
sures, the situation has changed.

hats, but there were few yar-
mulkas. Some of the men did not
have a tails. After speaking to
. . some of the non-Jewish por-
tion of my group, I found out
that few young people attend
church services either. . . The
Baku woman said only the older
people attend services except on
holidays when everyone comes
and they dance in the streets.

folded their shawls up in news-
paper tied with string and carried
it under their arms if they did
not have a talis bag. The syna-
gogue wasn't much to look at
from the outside but was beauti-
ful inside. It was decorated in
gold and green.
"After the service. everyone
wanted to talk to us and ask us
questions. One of the girls who
came with us was not Jewish,1
and they again wanted to know
why she is interested. Everyone
asked me if I spoke Hebrew or
Yiddish. I told them I could read
and write it, but only spoke a few

"Some of the women spoke Yid-
dish. Their prayer books were worn
and tattered. One woman covered
hers with newspaper. When we ar-
rived, the service seemed slightly'
disorganized. Everyone was walk- '
ing around forming separate groups
to converse or pray. About an hour
NEW YORK (JTA)—Rabbi Ye-!
later, they all took their places
huda Leib, chief rabbi of Moscow's
and held a familiar home service..
Central Synagogue, sent his New
(The synagogue had been built at'
Year's greetings to American and
the time of ' the Czars. The altar
Canadian Jewry through a group of
was lit up electrically with a huge
teen-agers who visited him in Mos-
Star of David).
cow. The group has just returned
"The Baku woman was inter-; from a trip to the Soviet Union,
ested to 'know if my parents were Romania and Israel under the
religious and if they keep the Sab-1 auspices of the United Synagogue
bath. I told her of the Russian of America.
Jewry protest gatherings and of
The 76-year-old rabbi, whose
Hebrew and religious classes we visit to the United States a year
take at home. She seemed to be ago provoked a storm, expressed
glad that I could read and write! warm appreciation for the visit of
Hebrew. They were interested in j the youngsters who were led by !
my mezuza. Later, a man was Rabbi Arthur A. Chiel of Wood-
very eager to show me his, which bridge. N.Y. He described the
he wore hidden underneath his' meeting as a gladdening encoun-
shirt. They are not familiar with ter.
mezuzas as ornate as mine (hand-
made in Israel).
The Institute for the Study of
"The feeling I received was not 1-lebrew Poetry was founded in
distant, as is felt with • most Rus- I Berlin by Salman Schocken in 1930.
sian people. Instead, I felt as :Its purpose was the study and pub-
though I belonged to one, universal I'
of medieval Hebrew
people. Ten per cent of the Lenin- poetry. It moved to Jerusalem in
grad population is Jewish, and 1934.

Synagogue Youths
Bring Rabbi Levin 's
New Year Greeting.

Calling All Scouts

Boy Scout Troop 135 sponsored
by the men's club of Cong. Bnai
spoke wanted the young people to David is now holding its 33rd
sing Hebrew songs in the park, and annual fall recruiting drive.
All boys 11 years and older are
there, despite the obvious dangers,
the American Jewish teen-agers invited. The troop meets 7:30 p.m.
and their Russian elders sang to- Wednesdays at Bnai David.
gether. She came to The Jewish
News with her story, said Karen,
"because I owe them something."

phrases. It was then that I wished
I had a better education in the
language . . .
"On our way out, there were
four or five men in particular who
wanted to talk to us. One man
stopped a couple girls in our group
to give addresses of relatives at ;
home whom he wanted us to con-;
Photographers
tact. It must be difficult to write! But the meek shall inherit the
relatives living in the U.S., because earth; and shall delight themselves
For
Bar
Mitzvahs
this was not the first time we were in the abundance of peace.—Psalm
UN 441785
approached like this. 37:11.
,
"We walked with the men to a -
nearby park and sat down to talk.
The particular man with whom 1
spoke must have been in his 50s
He told us tomorrow the secret
police will ask them what we
talked about. He and three of his
friends spent 10 years in prison
because they applied for visas to
is now taking enrollments
go to Israel. He was not allowed
for the 1969-70 school year
to live in Moscow and was there.
Saturday, visiting. He asked me
Gary B. Moss M.A., B.S.
why I wished to study the Russian
Shelly Moss B.S.
language. 'the language of beasts.'
• Ages 3 through 5
• Hot Lunches
• TronsPortot.en
'Why do you want to come to Rus-
sia, it's a prison: Everyone wants
Is-
to know why I haven't been to
4230 Middlebelt Rd.
rael or when I am going. 'Why
don't you go, we can't. Don't come
West Bloomfield Township
to Russia. go to Israel.'
"They asked why I didn't
speak Hebrew fluently. He said

Salm Jayne

Bloomfield Nursery School

Call 541-3735

that we have books in the United
States and I should use them.
They asked why we brought no
Our venture to the only syna-
books
for them. We tried to ex-
gogue in Leningrad was not as dif-
plain that it was against the
ficult to find as expected. The
law
to
bring religious materials
service extended from 11 a.m. te
into Russia. We told them that
1,30 p.m. (Saturday). We were
things bad been sent, but the
w elcomed as soon as we stepped
government does not forward it
in the door and were directed
to
them. He asked us to go to
where to go. Men came up to u , .
our Jewish agency at home and
curious as to where we were from.
tell
them they need books. This
They were also surprised that
man has never been outside of
some of those who came with us
The average age of the con-
Russia, never seen how free
were not Jewish. 'Why should they gregation was again 65-70 years.
countries live, yet he knows
be interested?'
There are three synagogues in
Russia is a prison. These men
"There were roughly 150 people
Moscow, one main one in Moscow
were the only Russian citizens
attending the Orthodox service
and two in the suburbs. The two • I spoke to who said things
No young people were present, and ' in the suburbs have no rabbi.
against their country.
the average age of the congrega-
During the service, when the rab-
"'The synagogue is not for us
tion was 65. I met a red-haired
bi walked around with the Tora, to pray in. but for you and tour-
woman from Baku, where there
those who did not have a prayer ists.' He meant that it is a front to
are various nationalities in that
shawl kissed the Torah itself. show tourists that Russia allows
section of Russia. She said that The men at the end of the service Jews to worship.

Bar Mitzvas are rare. The young-
sters are not interested and, there-
fore. do not attend. It is through
no fault of the parents, because
they keep a Jewish home.
"The men wore either caps or

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
16—Friday, September 5, 1969

"He also asked: 'And please,
will you remember when you are
in Israel, get down on your knees
and kiss the ground for me and
my friends: Will you remember?'
"With the words 'We shall meet
in Israel,' he, reluctantly, left us
and went to the airport with his •
friends to see off two other friends '
who were going to Israel. -
: 4. *
Karen told The Jewish News that ,
the Russian Jews with whom she

THE OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS
OF THE HEBREW BENEVOLENT SOCIETY

(Chesed Shel Ernes)

26640 Greenfield Road, Oak Park, Michigan

Ertend their best wishes for a Happy and Prosperous
New Year to all their members, synagogues,
organizations and Detroit Jewry

SAMUEL S. PORTNER, President

PAUL JACOBS and EDWARD MILLER, Vice-Presidents

LEO B. FURST, Treasurer

NATHAN P. ROSSEN, Secretary

EARL JACOBS, HYMAN LIPSITZ and LEO STEIN, Trustees

SAM LEVINE, Cemetery Chairman

RABBI HENRY L GOLDSCHLAG, Cemetery Administrator

RABBI ISRAEL I. ROCKOVE, Executive Director

NATHAN WOLOK, Assistant Director

CONGREGATION
WNAI ISRAEL

143 ONEIDA RD.
PONTIAC, MICHIGAN

Unaffiliated residents of Pontiac and the suburbs are ,
welcome to worship with us and to join our member-
ship. Our Sunday School Classes start with kindergar-
ten (ages) through confirmation. Week day Hebrew
School, Bar and Bas Mitzvah and Jr. congregation
youth and adult activities for all age groups. Conser-
vative congregation.
For Particulars Contact

Rabbi Meyer Minkowich

Membership

Chairman

FE 4-4149 - FE 5-1740

Mr. Irving Prizant

Pres. David Utley

Mr. Arnold Wine

FE 2-4413

FE 4-7031 - FE 4-4602

High Holiday Seat's

682-3181

