THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS' Committee 'Acculturates' Soviet Immigrants By BEVERLY WOLKIND Jewish Welfare Federation , For the first time since arriving in Detroit, many Russian Jews gathered around a Seder table will, be led in a community service by a fellow Russian. At the Jimmy Prentis Morris Branch of the Jewish Community Center, they will enjoy the beauty of an ancient tradition without any barrier. Using Russian anguage haggadot, Leonid —.Nlakarov-Limanov will conduct the entire service in Russian. It's one of the Russian Ac- culturation Committee suc- cess stories. How do people who have been denied ex- pression of their Jewishness — while being persecuted solely because they are Jews — feel about their heritage after -they emig- rate? Once resettled, do Russian Jews help each other in the same spirit of tzedaka extended to them by the Jewish community? Questions like these prompted the formation two years ago of the Rus- sian Acculturation Committee, a joint ven- ture of the Jewish Com- FACIAL HAIR PERMANENTLY REMOVED P Eyebrows, Neckline, Arms Recommended by Physicians f-REE CONSULTATION SHIRLEY PERSIN Registered Electrologist ADVANCE BUILDING 23077 GREENFIELD, Room 260 Near Northland & Providence Hospital PHONE 557-1108 Over 20 Years Experience (SPECIALTY PRINTING CARD 'n GIFT 23067 Coolidge at 9 Mile Oak Plaza Plaza 541-0022 OFF EVERYTHING IN STORE! (Except lottery tickets & film processing) • Invitations • Stationery • Greeting Cards 1 1/41 Etc. • Etc. • Etc. • • • • • • • • •-• • • • have them • • with - • munity Center and the Jewish Welfare Federa- tion. Beyond the im- mediate needs of housing and jobs, the more than 500 newcomer families from the USSR settling here since 1973 have other kinds of needs. Spearheaded by Stuart E. Hertzberg, a member of Federation's Board of Gov- ernors and former president of the Jewish Vocational Service and Community Workshop, the committee has been instrumental in helping the immigrants un- derstand their Jewish heritage and the network of communal activities avail- able to them, while also en- couraging them to help each other in moving toward greater self-sufficiency. • Coordinator Dr. Luba Berton, who speaks fluent Russian, is a staff member of the Jewish Community Center where she also coor- dinates the Center's En- glish language program. In helping initiate many activities, the Accultura- tion Committee has become something of a model. Hertzberg has noted that Detroit's program is attract- ing the interest of other Jewish communities. Among the activities the Russians themselves have asked for and worked to implement is a new young people's group. As the teen-age and college-age Russians have dealt with the chal- lenge of learning the ways of their American counterparts, they have also felt the need for a so- cial group of their own. Helping answer that need is 28-year old Sam Valk who emigrated just over three years ago and who has established his own insurance agency. Valk says he is concerned about the young people, few of whoth were able to attend a synagogue in Russia. He believes that whether or not he is religious, "my heart tells me it is important to live as a Jew, and I'm trying to give this feeling to the younger generation." To this end, Valk is plan- ning programs about Israeli arts, political and cultural life. The group also hopes to obtain stereo equipment for upcoming social events, such as a disco dance plan- ned for April 3. There are a number of other groups the immig- rants have established. One is the New World Club, 100 senior citizens who have learned about their new country through monthly meetings, newsletters and outings. Working with Dr. Berton, Russians Zina Kar- donskaya and Alicia Klemptner have provided the impetus for such ac- tivities as a trip to the De- troit Institute of Arts, where they were greeted by a Russian-speaking guide. Another way in which the immigrants are work- ing together to become part of the community is the Soviet army veterans group, headed by Joseph Ayzin. The 50 members meet monthly and have planned a number of ac- tivities, including a pic- nic sponsored jointly with the Jewish War Vet- erans of the U.S.A. Others help in other ways. Vladimir Kovner emigrated from his native Russia about four years ago. A professional worker within the auto industry, he writes a column for "Fonarik" (Little Lantern), the Jewish Community Center's monthly Russian language newspaper that enjoys national readership. In the "Cultural Life in De- troit" column, Kovner keeps other immigrants informed of local art, music and film events. Immigrants Tanya Polsky and Shayna Ehrlich participated in the Phonogift pledge drive sponsored this month by the Women's Division of Feder- ation. As Dr. Berton explained, these women come from a country where this kind of community spirit is unheard of. It is precisely what the Acculturation Committee set out to accomplish . . . Correction The item appearing in last week's Jewish News about Soviet prisoner of conscience Ida Nudel was in error. It should have said that Miss Nudel will be released from siberian exile, but there is no word on her being allowed to migrate to Israel. helping Russian Jews un- derstand and take pride in their Jewishness as they meld with the community. Funding for the accultu- ration programs is provided by the Jewish Welfare Fed- eration, out of a direct grant from the United Jewish Charities. 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