THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, September 15, 1978
Surgery Expert
to Speak at Sinai
NEW FALL AT FASHIONS
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Dr. Burton D. Brent, an
internationally recognized
authority on reconstructive
surgery, will be the featured
speaker at a plastic surgery
symposium to be held 10
a.m. Wednesday in the Zuc-
kerman Auditorium of
Sinai Hospital. Dr. Fredrick
Weissman, chief of the sec-
tion of plastic surgery at
Sinai, will be the mod-
erator.
Dr. Brent, who is a clini-
cal assistant professor of
til,
plastic surfery at SSaAffir
al
Calif., will speak on "The
Techniques of Plastic Re-
construction of the Ear."
Golda Well Again
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
Former Premier Golda Meir
left the Hadassah Medical
Center after a two-week
hospitalization following a
case described by her doc-
tors as a viral infection and
back aches.
LENNY
LIEBERMAN
Orchestra
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14
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V
Background of Concert Violinist
Belkin Reveals Enigma in Russia
A young violinist who has
already attained eminence
in Israel and in the United
States, as well as in appear-
ances in European coun-
tries, had his agonies when
he sought a visa to leave
Russia for settlement in Is-
rael.
The exciting story of
Boris Belkin, who will be
the guest artist at the an-
nual Balfour Concert of the
6 isa i,1 1.9 rig s11 0- 4 3 r .dd Tak. , -
Nov. 12, was told by Joseph
Horowitz in a lengthy illus-
trated article in the Maga-
zine Section of the New
York Times, June 11. Por-
tions of the Horowitz story
follow:
Were it not so harrow-
ingly plausible, Boris Bel-
kin's account of his last
three years in the Soviet
Union would have the mak-
ings of a splendid melod-
rama, murky with sus-
pense, and richly embroi-
dered with irony and
paradox.
As a promising 23-year-
old violin student at the
Moscow - Conservatory, Be-
lkin had spent the previous
year preparing for the 1971
Paganini competition in
Genoz. He was already at
the airport when he learned
he would not be permitted to
leave for Italy.
His fingers went numb
and he dropped his violin
case. When the numbness
persisted, he had himself
admitted to a Moscow
psychiatric clinic, where he
discovered a degree of intel-
lectual camaraderie he had
not known at school. He left
the clinic, cured, six months
later.
Intense concentration shows on the face of violinist
Boris Belkin, who, free from the restrictions of his
native Russia, - enjoys the success of playing with
major American orchestras.
lkin would provide a drama- sians win all the competi-
tic starting point for under- tions?"
standing who the emigrants
are, why they left, and what
their presence in the West
means.
In Russia, Belkin had
the reputation of being a
troublemaker, and it is
not hard to see why: He is
outspoken, independent
and unreasonably hand-.
some, with full lips and
chiseled features like
Nureyev's, as well as
shoulder-length hair and
riveting gray-blue eyes.
Onstage, he is gaunt and
unnervingly opaque. In
conversation in New
York earlier this year,
however, he proved
quick to smile and eager
to talk. His English was
awkward but emphatic;
the words came in spurts,
sometimes bluntly, some-
times sprinting with ar-
dor.
"I was born in Sverdlovsk.
My father is an engineer
there. Russia — it's not
really my country. I feel
Jewish first. It was my
Back at the conservat- dream, always from 15 or
ory, he prepared for the 16, to be an Israeli artist,
1973 Paganini competi- not Russian. 'You know,' I
tion, only to be prevented once said to my father, 'I
again from leaving Rus- can't stay in this bloody
sia. The same year, he country.' And he didn't be-
took first prize in the lieve me, really. For him, it
Soviet Union's national was very strange, because
violin competition. This he's really Russian. He said
was considered a certain to me, 'You're crazy.' I hated
ticket to success in the everything.
"From 6 to 11 I studied
1974 Tchaikovsky Inter-
national Competition, the violin, but then for the
especially since no fewer next six and one-half years,
than five Soviet violinists no more violin. Because I
had won prizes in the hated the violin. And I was
1970 Tchaikovsky and terribly nervous. At 17 I
were ineligible to com- began with the violin again.
pete again. But Belkin I don't know why. I don't
remember, really. And I
felt caged.
As a Jew, he applied for began to practice very seri-
permission to emigrate to ously — about seven, eight
Israel. There was resis- hours every day. And- this
tance: the Minister of Cul- great teacher, Yuri Yan-
ture, Yekaterina Furtseva, kelevich, transferred me to
personally promised future the Moscow Conservatory.
trips abroad if Belkin And I practiced like mad."
agreed to take part in the Belkin trusted and ad-
Tchaikovsky competition; mired Yankelevich. But he
meanwhile, the army began disliked the Conservatory.
threatening to enlist him.
"Everybody is terribly
Other officials, however, busy. Ninety-eight per-
must have considered the cent of your time, you
young violinist an expenda- don't know what for. For
ble nuisance: In May 1974, instance, if I don't pass
he was allowed to leave for a test on ' history of the
Israel, visa in hand. At the Communist Party, I don't
Tchaikovsky competition in play concerts. Every-
Moscow two months later, thing is aimed for compe-
no first prize was awarded titions, which is a very
bad system. It kills all the
for violin.
Even if he had not decided individuality that an ar-
to spend six months in a fist might develop. Why
psychiatric clinic, Boris Be- do you think the Rus-
Before emigrating, Be-
lkin had visited only Poland
and East Germany. He
spoke of the impact of free-
dom with startling inno-
cence. Recollecting his first
impressions of Israel, his
eyes grew huge and un-
worldly.
"The first few months,
when I got up in the morn-
ing, I thought, 'Oh my God,
it's just like a dream.' I
didn't believe I was in the
West. It was just incredible.
In my playing, everything
changed. Because I was
free. It's a completely new
feeling about life. How
Ashkenazy changed here!
And how Rostropovich
changed here! I heard him
in Israel two years ago —
the Dvorak concerto. I
heard him in Russia play
the same piece. He is very
much changed."
- Within a year of leaving_
the Soviet Union, Belkin
had performed with Zubin
Mehta and the Montreal
Symphony, and with
Leonard Bernstein and the
New York Philharmonic_
Engagements followed with
the orchestras of Boston,
Cleveland, Los Angeles,
Philadelphia and
Pittsburgh, as well as with
Amsterdam's C on -
certgebouw Orchestra and
London's New Philhar-
monia and Royal Philhar-
monic.
Joining Belkin on the
Balfour Concert program
will be flutist Michele Sahm
and oboist Stuart Dunkel.
More than 3,000 persons are
expected to attend the -an-
nual ZOS event.
4
U-M Hillel Unit iiik
Programs Start NIP
The Bnai Brith Hillel
Foundation at the Univer-
sity of Michigan has begun
its fall programs with the
resumption of classes.
Hillel sponsors daily serv-
ices, Sunday brunches and
evening delis, Israeli folk
dancing, Sabbath services
and programs, Jewish
classes in its Beit Midrash,
a film series and other pro-
grams.
It will praticipate in a
Jewish activities fair in the
Union from 1-3 and 7-10
p.m. Sunday in the Union,
sponsored by the U-M
Council of Jewish Organ-
izations.