Soviet Jews' Quiet Heroism Finds Support in Detroi Community By CHARLOTTE DUBIN Eleanora Poltinnikova res- olutely marched three miles for Soviet Jewry Sunday afternoon. But the show of firmness wavered as she later related to a rally audience the agonies with which she and her family have lived as Jews in the Soviet Union. Miss Poltinnikova broke down several times as she told the 2,500 young people and adults of the daily har- assment, threats of imprison- ment and sheer fight for sur- vival that -have confronted the Poltinnikovs since they first applied for exit visas to Israel in March 1971. Eleanora, her husband and THE DETROITJEW1SH NEWS grandfather were permitted 10—Friday, May 10, 1974 to emigrate in 1972, leaving behind her parents and sister. Her grandfather has since died — waiting in vain, she said, for the phone call from Novosibirsk bringing news that that the rest of the fam- ily could come to Israel.. Eleanora thanked the De- troit community for its help in sustaining her family. Several Detroit physicians have hired her parents and sister, all doctors, as paid consultants. Thus, with some means of 'support, the fam- ily has been able to chal- lenge the accusation of "par- asitism." Additionally, the Poltinni- kovs have been "adopted" by local organizations, and an STYLING unending stream of phone CUST 0 PA WITH LUXURIOUS calls and letters have formed VINYL & MA CRON I WANT TO SELL YOUR HOME? 1974 FABRICS EXCLUSIVE 141017CHMAKER BROKER WE SERVE , 259-3600 D E TRO I AND AL L SUBURBS CALL 559-8333 AETNA REALTY CO. 24469 Greenfield Rd. ' Southfield remember MOTIIER PS DAy mAy12 WITH A SYMBOL OF LIFE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND TREE CERTIFICATE PLANT TREES IN ISRAEL in her name Why not stop in and pick up a certificate? Office will be open this Sunday 10-12. n ri 1T1 JEWISH NATIONAL FUND, 22100 Greenfield Rd. Oak Park, Mich. 48237 I- „ 968-0820 a special bond between them and Detroit Jewry. The occasion for Eleanora's visit here was Solidarity Day for SovietJewry—a combina- tion ."walkathon" . through Oak Park and a rally follow-. ing, at Cong. Bnai Moshe. An estimated • 500 persons joined the walkathon, the brainchild of Hillel Day School teacher Yoram Dahav and his sixth grade classes. The 11- a n d 12-year-old youngsters came out en masse because, as Lisa Char- lip put it, "we're Jews, and we want the Soviet Jews to be free like us." The students preceded the Solidarity Day project with week's of preparation, includ- ing collecting funds for the Detroit Committee for Soviet Jewry, which sponsored the event •with the cooperation of the Jewish Community Coun- cil. The Hillel youngsters raised a total of $2,200, and two students, Eve Reider and Avery Lampert, raised almost $250 each on their own. Others who raised more than $100 each were Steve Arbit, Barb Lewis and Julie Weisberg of Sharey Zedek and Alicia Blas, Bert Gold- man, Joel Levin, Molly Bindes, Lisa Steiner, Steve Lupovitch, Ilene Ross, Donna Boesky, Mark Freedman, M elis s a Krakauer, Lisa Charlip, Anita Liwazer, Lisa Applebaum and Julie Rosen. Although all age groups were represented in the event, the day clearly be- longed to the young. Bnei Akiva-Young Israel, Bnai David and Bnai Moshe USY were among the youth groups that braved the threat of rain to complete the walkathon. (The rain held tack until the stragglers made it into the synagogue.) Reiolutions pr ocl ai ming Solidarity Day, May 5, were read at the rally by Roy Williams, representing Gov- ernor Milliken, and by State Sen. Jack Faxon, on behalf of the Michigan Legislature. The latter resolution was in- troduced by Faxon and Sen. Daniel Cooper. A special guest was Rabbi Irving Greenberg, chairman of the department of Jewish studies at City College of the City of New York. Dr. Green- berg, who was in Detroit for a Jewish Welfare Federation- -sponsored function, delivered a brief 'address to the rally, urging its participants to continue their fight for Sov- iet Jewry. "There's a saying in the Talmud," he said, "that if you uphold one life, it is like saving the whole world." Ap- plying that precept to the present situation, Dr. Green- berg said, American Jewry must uphold the quiet hero- ism of the Soviet Jews by continuing to make phone calls, to write letters, to hold rallies. - "It is no wonder that • the Soviet government is so furi- ous," he said. "A simple peo- ple has forced it to make con- cessions in a way that Mao Tse Tung and the power of the U.S. government have not forced it to do." Miss Poltinnikova, a 26- year-old English teacher, echoed that theme in remarks to The Jewish News. "You must make a big noise," she said. "I don't believe in quiet diplomacy. The only real leverage is the Jackson Amendment; the rest is only words. The Soviet Union is much weaker economically than the Americans think, and trade is very important to them." Her own "exodus" was a result of President Nixon's pre-election visit to the Soviet Union, she said. But she had to pay a high price. "The Soviets were trying to help his campaign, so they gave permission to a group of Jews to leave without paying the education tax". She received word on Nov. 3, but before she had time to acquire a visa, the election was over. "The next day, they started charging the fees again." While in Detroit—prior to returning to Washington where she has been working on her parents' release — Eleanora spoke at Beth Shalom Sabbath services and before several school groups. She was the house guest of Mr. and Mrs. Myron Joyrich. "I have almost family here," Eleanora said. "Everybody is worrying about me." She told the Bnai Moshe audience: "I'm not going to stop till my family is all out. And I know you won't. My family is only one of thou- sands. As long as you sit quietly, someone there is suf- fering. The more you do, the less suffering there will be." Participants in the rally in- cluded Arnold Michlin and Shirley Leopold, co-chair- men of the Detroit Commit- tee for Soviet Jewry; Rabbis Moses Lehrman and Irwin Groner; Cantor Louis Klein; and Rae Sharfman, who has been particularly active in efforts on behalf of the Pol- tinnikovs. IF YOU TURN THE UPSIDE DOWN YOU WON'T FIND A FINER WINE THAN Oe rdr 9,ad *Milan Wineries,. Detroit, NEW 1974 BUICKS APOLLO CENTURY LE SABRE ELECTRA RIVIERA Auto P Steer S2750 $3185 $3495 $4175 $4545 . P. 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