54 Friday, June 3, 1977
•
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Confusion and Hostility Disappearing as Russian Olim Join Kibutzim
BY MOSHE RON
The Jewish News Special
Israel Correspondent
TEL AVIV—There is no
truth that Soviet immi-
grants are against the ki-
butz, nor do they compare
it with the Russian kolkhoz.
The truth is they do not
know much about kibutz
life, and until now they
have gotten only little infor-
mation about it, said
Genia and Emanuel Os-
trowsky, two Russian immi-
grants who have settled in
Kibutz Yagur near Haifa.
"We often heard from Is-
raelis that a kibutz is sim-
ilar to a kolkhoz. But now
we know that these state-
ments were made by people
who are against the ki-
butz," the Ostrowskys said.
Genia and Emanuel Os-
trowsky came five' years
ago from Vilna to Israel.
Jews as Mayors and Violinists
By DAVID SCHWARTZ
(Copyright 1977, JTA, Inc.)
Jews have been in New
York for a long time—be-
fore it was even New York.
They arrived there not long
after the Dutch handed
over that check for $24 to
the Indian chief in ex-
change for the island of
Manhattan:---and yet until
the present day, it never
had a Jewish mayor.
Now that Abe Beame has
made it, there are many
Jewish candidates for the of-
fice. In part, it may be due
to the unemployment situa-
tion. But being mayor of
New York is not an easy
job. Who likes to sign
checks for hundreds of mil-
lions of dollars? Who likes
to give away so much
money? But what can you
do? A job is a job.
There is a long row of
Jewish candidates. Mayor
Abe Beame is one—running
for re-election. Former Con-
gresswoman Bella Abzug
has thrown tier hat in the
ring. Some have thought
Bella would never part with
that hat—which has become
a kind of trade mark for
her. Another Jewish candi-
date is Roy Goodman, who
is of the old Israel Matz
family. Israel Matz was the
man who introduced the
laxative Ex-Lax. Old timers
will recall that Israel Matz
was an ardent Hebraist. He
was one of the leading sup-
porters of .the chief Hebrew
publication in America.
Besides the Jewish candi-
dates, there is an Italian
and a Black candidate. The
Jewish candidates are in
the majority. They are mak-
ing up for lost time. It
should be said there was
one half-Jewish mayor be-
fore Beame, Fiorello La-
Guardia. He was half Jew-
ish, half Italian.
La Guardia was a color-
ful figu!e. When there was
a strike of news deliverers,
La Guardia was not going
to allow the children to be
deprived of their newspaper
comics. He read them over
the radio for the children.
He reminded one of Dize-
ngoff, the first mayor of
Tel Aviv, who used to come
riding every day to City
Hall in Tel Aviv on a white
horse. When Dizengoff vis-
ited America, he was asked
if Tel Aviv had any sky-
scrapers. Yes, he said, but
we have them separate, the
skies and the scrapers sepa-
rate. He remained mayor
of Tel Aviv until his death.
He said, after he died he
would still be watching Tel
Aviv from above.
Why are there so many
They were in an ulpan on
Kibutz Hakharesh and they
became acquainted for the
first time with kibutz life.
They and other families
from Russia turned to the
Jewish Agency and Absorp-
tion Ministry and asked in-
formation about kibutz liv-
ing. To their surprise they
were told that the kibutz
was an independent in-
stitution and that govern-
ment agencies had no infor-
mation about it.
Through relatives they
heard about Kibutz Yagur
and applied for member-
ship. "We saw that not all
new immigrants were
happy in the cities and we
tried our luck elsewhere, -
the Ostrowskys said.
Genia and Emanuel got a
two-room cottage. Emanuel
worked in the Legin factory
as a technician, Genia was
employed as a nurse. Only
their three-year-old child
Ali, had some difficulties to
adapt himself to kibutz life.
Although he had to sleep
with the other kibutz chil-
dren without his parents
and he did not speak Hebr-
ew, he quickly overcame
his problems.
After a year, the Os-
trowsky family was re-
ceived as full members of
the kibutz. Genia said that
she and her husband felt at
home on the kibutz from
the first day. They now
have another son, MoShe,
and Genia is expecting her
third child.
Eight months after the Os-
trowskys emigrated, Ema-
nuel's mother Riva and his
sister Lil and her husband,
Arye Braunda, with their
eight-year-old daughter
Dina, came to Israel.
They all got apartments
in the kibutz. Arye is work-
ing in the Ligen factory.
The kibutz enabled his wife
Lili to learn sewing and she
is employed in the kibutz
tailor shop.
Emanuel believes many
Russian immigrants would
join a kibutz, but after get-
ting city apartments and
buying cars, they are tied
to urban life.
Another immigrant from
the Soviet Union, Morris
Auerbach, came to Kibutz
Yagur in a peculiar way.
Ten years ago, relatives of
hiS from the kibutz visited
him in Czernowitz, USSR.
When he arrived in Israel
four years ago, he re-
quested to be sent to an
ulpan on a kibutz. He was
sent to Yagur. He stayed in
Hulda after the ulpan, and
together with new immi-
grants from England he
planned to establish a ki-
butz in the Negev. In the
meantime he served two
years in the Israeli Army.
Jewish violinists? It has
been said the reason Jews
have taken to the violin is
that it is easy to run away
with it. When a Hitler
comes. you can't easily run
away with your piano.
Yehudi Menuhin is of
course a famed violinist.
Now he has written his auto-
biography, - Unfinished
Journey. - The book is re-
viewed by Leon Botstein in
the New Republic. Botstein
is president of Bard College
and is also a violinist and
conductor. Botstein doesn't
think much of Menuhin's
book, his philosophy or
even of his violin playing.
He admits that Menuhin as
a child was a musical prodi-
gy "but for the past 20
years or so, his playing has
been erratic and often even
down right poor."
Yehudi is the most Hebraic
of names and Yehudi Men-
uhin was born in Palestine,
but the Menuhins have been
anti-Zionist. Menuhin
doesn't seem to admire his
own people too much. He
doesn't like America par-
ticularly either. He profes-
ses to be a world citizen
and above all likes Eng-
land. Botstein points out
that Einstein was a world
citizen too but he was also
a Zionist. Botstein thinks
all of the "philosophy" ar-
ticulated in Menuhin's auto-
biography is sophomoric,
lacking in intellectual
fiber—in short on the down-
grade as is his playing.
Einstein saw no clash be-
tween his devotion to his
people and to the world.
Also Einstein was a musi-
cian. In that connection, I
can relate a little episode
with which I was personally
familiar. Einstein came to
America together with Dr.
Weizmann. Morris Mar-
gulies, secretary of the Zion-
ist Organization at the
time, visited Einstein at his
hotel and found the latter
worried. He had no piano.
Einstein relaxed by playing
the piano. Margulies saw to
it that the hotel room was
provided with a piano.
Shortly after, some Zion-
ist group was anxious to
have Einstein for a guest,
but Einstein said his pro-Zi-
Morris has found a girl-
onist position was common friend and wants to start a
knowledge. He didn't want home and family on the ki-
to appear. Margulies went butz. He works in the or-
up to see him, but Einstein ange grove, but likes to
gave him the same nega- read books, listen to music,
tive answer.
write, visit theater and cine-
"But Albert," said Mrs. ma performances. Morris
Einstein, 'Mr. Margulies also translates books and
got you the piano." The poems from English to Rus-
eyes of Einstein opened sian. He is happy.
Morris complains how-
wide. "Oh, you are the man
who got me the piano. Then ever, that there is not much
I will go, of course. -
information about kibutz
life for new immigrants
from the Soviet Union.
They do not know what the
kibutz means. he says. Only
a few doz,Thr, Russian immi-
grants (from about 130,000)
are living on kibutzim. The
chairman of the the Absorp-
tion Departmennt of the
Jewish Agency thinks that
the kibutzim are to be
blamed for it. They are in-
different to this problem.
e says.
Only the Kibutz Haartzi
movement of Hahomer Haz-
air, which is looking for
new members, has started
intensive work among Rus-
sian immigrants to draw
them to kibutzim. They
have sent representatiVes
to the ulpanim in order to
tell immigrants about daily
life on the kibutz, and they
make clear the difference
between a kibutz and a kol-
khoz.
Some Russian immi-
grants who refuse to listen
are those who are a short
time in Israel and afraid to
undergo new experiences.
Old timers, who are living
in cities and villages show
interest. They are looking
for a quieter style of life
and think that the social at-
mosphere on a kibutz is bet-
ter than in the city.
On Kibutz Negba a group
of Russian immigrants.
have organized themselves
to settle on a new kibutz.
They learn Judaism and
Jewish history. The kibutz
built 20 new houses for 40
families of Russian immi-
grants, and some of the im-
migrants have enlisted in
the army. Slowly but surely
all the kibutz movements of
the country (which are
short of manpower) are tak-
ing interest and initiative to
draw new Russian immi-
grants to the kibutz.
Monument Unveilings
Unveiling announcements may
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The Jewish News, 17515 W. Nine
Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich.,
48075, 424-8833. Written an-
nouncements must be accom-
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There is a standing charge of S5
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an inch in depth, and 510 for a
notice two inches deep with a
black border.
* * *
CANCELLED
The unveiling for Julitn -
Wolf which had been sched-
uled for Sunday, June 5.
has been cancelled.
The Family of the Late
The family of the late
Jack Erman announces the
unveiling of a monument • in
his memory 4 p.m. Sunday,
June 5, at Clover Hill Park
Cemetery. Relatives and
friends are asked to attend.
***
The family of the late
Dorothy Teper announces
the unveiling of a mon-
ument in her memory 10
a.m. Sunday, June 12, at
Beth Tefilo Emanuel Ceme-
tery. Rabbi Harold Loss
will officiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to attend.
CHARLES H.
ROGERS
Announces the un-
veiling of monuments in
their memory 11:30
a.m. Sunday, June 5, at
Hebrew Memorial Park.
Rabbi David Nelson will
officiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to at-
tend.
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in his memory 12:30
p.m. Sunday, June 5, at
Machpelah Cemetery.
Rabbi Joshua Sperka
will officiate. Relatives
and freinds are asked to
attend.
ROBERT
CRAINE
BESSIE
GORDON
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in his memory 12 noon
Sunday, June 5, at
Workmen's Circle Cem-
etery (Beth Isaac Sec-
tion). Rabbi Max Weine
will officiate. Relatives
and friends are asked to
attend.
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in her memory 11:30
a.m. Sunday, June 5, at
Nusach H'Ari Cemetery.
Rabbi -Herbert S. Eskin
will officiate. Relatives
and friends are asked to
attend.
The Family
of the Late
The Family
of the Late
SOLOMON
RUBIN
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in his memory 11 a.m.
Sunday, June 12, at
Hebrew Memorial Park.
Rabbi Gorrelick will of-
ficiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to at-
tend.
The Family of the Late
N
ANNA
ESKIN
p
LEO GINSBERG
AND
JANET
GINSBURG
The Family
of the Late
The Family
of the Late
The Family
of the Late
The family of the late
Mary Travis announces the
unveiling of a monument in
her memory 11:30 a.m. Sun-
day. June 5, at Adat Sha-
lom Memorial Park. Rabbi
Seymour Rosenbloom and
Cantor Larry Vieder will of-
f iciate. Relatives and
friends are asked to attend.
The Family
of the Late
ESTELLE
KAPLAN
MORRIE
(CHAMP)
SHERMAN
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in his memory 1 p.m.
Sunday, June 12, at
Hebrew Memorial Park.
Rabbi Joshua Sperka
and Rabbi Solomon
Gruskin will officate.
Relatives and friend
are asked to attend.
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in her memory 11 a.m.
Sunday, June 12, at
Adat Shalom Memorial
Park. Cantor Vieder will
officiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to at-
tend.
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in her memory 11 a.m.
Sunday, June 5, at
Hebrew Memorial Park.
Cantor Adler will offici-
'ate.
The Family
of the Late
The Family
of the Late
BERTHA S.
FERGAL
CELIA
LUPILOFF
EVA
SINGERMAN
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in her memory 11 a.m.
Sunday, June - 12, at
Machpelah Cemetery.
Rabbi Milton Arm will
officiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to at-
tend.
Announces the un-
•veiling of a monument
in her memory 11 a.m.
Sunday, June 5, at
Hebrew Memorial Park.
Rabbi Arm will offici-
ate. Relatives and
friends are asked to at-
tend.
Announces the un-
veiling of a monument
in her memory 11 a.m.
Sunday, June 5, at
Machpelah Cemetery.
Rabbi Leizei Levin will
officiate. Relatives and
friends are asked to at-
tend.
The Family
of the Late