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Friday, November 22, 1985
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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
THE JEWISH NEWS
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CANDLELIGHTING AT 4:46 P.M.
VOL. LXXXVII, NO. 13
Coming Of Age
The theme of this year's Council of Jewish Federations General
Assembly, "Coming of Age," was an appropriate one and we as a
community can take pride in our participation in this important meeting.
More than 3,000 delegates — a record number — heard and met with our
nation's lawmakers in Washington, protested on behalf of Soviet Jewry,
dealt with scores of issues affecting American Jewish life, from social
services to cultural identity, and worshipped at Sabbath services of their
choice. (See story, page 76.)
Unfortunately, many had already left for home when Dr. Jon
Woocher of Brandeis University offered a thoughtful summary of the
five-day meeting. He noted that we have come of age, but we must not
confuse affirmation with self-congratulation. The question for our future
is not only how big, but how good, can we become. The challenge: can we
build a genuine Jewish culture in North America?"
He suggested that to do so, "every dimension of what we do" must be
infused with Jewish values.
It is a simple but important message that bears repeating, and
reflection.
Summit Posturing?
Rev. Jesse Jackson and Mikhail Gorbachev played to the cameras
Tuesday at the superpower summit meetings in Geneva. Both took
advantage of the official news blackout on the U.S.-USSR talks to present
their own views to a news-starved world.
Jackson's assessment later that Chairman Gorbachev was
"forthcoming and candid" on human rights issues and "there was a kind
of openness there that was impressive" is a positive sign. But assessments
and actions are two different things, and the Soviet Union's record on
living up to the Helsinki Accords can not withstand close assessment.
The 400,000 Soviet Jews who have received "invitations" from their
relatives in Israel, the two million Jews of Russia who may be too
intimidated to ask, and the remaining Jews of the world are all too
familiar with Mother RusSia's abysmal record on human rights. Family
separations, internal exile, jailings on trumped-up charges are not
isolated incidents of the distant past.
U.S. citizen Abe Stolar's family received official word this week, after
waiting 11 1/2 years, that they could return to the United States. Avital
Shcharansky continues to circle the globe, appealing for the release of her
beloved Anatoly. In reality, Shcharansky is dying in a Soviet prison
because he wanted to leave the bias of the Soviet Union.
The Soviets have a history of short-term changes in foreign and
domestic policy. These usually occur to further specific Soviet objectives.
Any positive response from Mikhail Gorbachev and the Soviet Union
that comes from this week's summit meetings will have to be viewed from
a lengthier perspective. The same criteria will have to be used to assess
Jackson's meeting with Gorbachev.
OP-ED
Reuniting Russian Emigres
With Their Lost Judaism
BY RABBI REUVEN EATON
Special to The Jewish News
"We have a terrible feeling that
the authorities are set to break us
once and for all." This was the mes-
sage we received in Israel from a
Leningrad "refusenik". It is typical
of the desperate feelings of repres-
sion which are expressed regularly
from our staff and students engaged
in our "Life-Line" Telephone Cam-
paign to Jewish activists in the
U.S.S.R. We also maintain constant
contact with Jews in the Soviet
Union through the briefing and de-
briefing of those tourists who have
visited the U.S.S.R. The situation is
grave, despite rumors of a relaxation
of the present policy and promise of
future emigration. Yes, the trickle of
exit visas seems to have grown ever
so slightly in recent weeks. How-
ever, no reversal of policy is evident,
as yet.
So what can we expect for the
masses of Russian Jewry? Some
3,000,000 Jews still sojourn in the
USSR. Almost 400,000 have received
invitations to be repatriated or re-
united with family in Israel. Some
20,000 have applied for exit visas,
been refused, and have begun to live
in the miserable limbo of the re-
fusenik. What doeS the average
Soviet Jew hope for? Most are not
committed refuseniks. What does he
know of the plight of his fellow Jews
who have already left the USSR?
What can he expect if he should be
able to leave?
Almost 90,000 Russian Jews
have resettled in the United States
and Canada during the past 15 or 20
years. During the same period, more
than 170,000 have resettled in Is-
rael. How have they fared eco-
nomically, socially, personally and
spiritually?
Rabbi,Eaton, a native of the U.S., is
director of Shout Ami Center for Soviet
Jews in Jerusalem.
Jewish communities throughout
North America have struggled to
help new Russian Jewish immig-
rants adapt to the new, open, com-
petitive life style in which they find
themselves. Many have done well.
Very few have identified strongly
with their local Jewish communities.
Enormous frustrations on both
sides have created much be-
tween the new immigrant commu-
nity and American Jews. In my
Enormous frustrations
have created
between the immigrant
community and American
Jews.
travels across the United States and
Canada, I frequently have been
shocked by the negative feelings I
have encountered in discussions with
local Jews about the new Russian
Jewish immigrants. Many feel that a
tremendous effort was expended
with pitifully poor results. They are
tired and filled with despair. They
will, by and large, be lost," a local
rabbi told me. I had to admit that
this sad prediction seems to be true.
What is urgently needed is a
comprehensive re-evaluation by
Jewish leaders, Jewish communities,
and resettlement organizations.
When the Russian immigrants first
arrived their needs were physical,
and it was appropriate to emphasize
housing and job placement. Today,
these needs must be placed second to
intensive efforts to introduce Rus-
sian immigrants to their Jewish
roots. Only through such an effort
can these Jews, who have been es-
tranged from their Jewish heritage,
participate in Jewish life.