CLOSE-UP I
To All Our
Friends & Their Families,
Our wish for a
year filled with
happiness,
health and prosperity.
Untapped Resources
Continued from preceding page
JEWISH EMIGRATION FROM THE USSR
THOUSANDS
66
50
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
COURTESY OF
28301 Franklin Road
Southfield, Michigan
L'Shanah Torah
From everyone at United Savings Bank.
Alfred L. Deutsch
Chairman of the Board
4/39
Dennis B. Deutsch
President
United. Sayings Bank
(EN DER
31731 Northwestern Hwy, Farmington Hills, MI 48018, 855-8913
32255 Northwestern Hwy, Farmington Hills, MI 48018, 626-3680
535 Griswold,Main Floor of Buhl Bldg. , Detroit, MI 48226, 963-8350
33505 14 Mile Road, Farmington Hills, MI 48018, 661-1703
32
FRIDAY, SEPT. 25, 1987
ml sovarr JEWRY IDucAnom
ANO Rif ORMATIOR
number of programs for older
Russians increased and ef-
forts to make them feel in-
volved and a part of the
Jewish Center were
intensified.
Irving Kleiman, 87, was
one of several Center
volunteers who helped make
the programs work. Irving
speaks Yiddish and some
Russian, having left Russia in
1921. He- arrived in the
United States in 1936 via
Poland, Cuba and Canada.
"I went through a lot myself
and I remember what it was
like not knowing the
language," he explains. "I was
sympathetic to the Russians.
They felt that they were being
treated like a different class
of people because they didn't
know what was going on. I
made it my business to tell
them."
Kleiman resolved that his
Russian peers should unders-
tand all the announcements
for coming events and the
transportation schedule. He
sat with the Russian seniors
at lunch and during lectures,
translating when required
and making certain his
American counterparts knew
what was taking place. He at-
tended the Butzel summer
vacation in 1986 determined
to carry on with his roles of
teacher, mediator and friend.
He explained what was tak-
ing place, what was expected,
and encouraged the Russians
and Americans to get to know
one another better.
The Center staff planned
the summer vacation weeks
of 1986 far in advance to
make certain that there was
an open line of communica-
tion among those attending.
"First we made certain that
the Russian seniors
understood why they were at
camp," says Sandweiss. "We
explained that this was a
chance to get out of the city,
to relax and enjoy and make
new friends. We didn't want
the Russian seniors to have
any apprehensions about the
purpose of the camp."
Sandweiss then described
the orientation for the
corm - anusAune
American seniors. The group
was told where the Russians
came from, what they had en-
dured and the kinds of pro-
blems they face trying to ad-
just to American life.
There was also an orienta-
tion for counselors so that
they had a fairly accurate pic-
ture of the situation and
could act as liaison between
the groups. Much of the pro-
gram for the camp centered
around specific opportunities
Today, the Morris
Branch is
perceived as a
friendly place for
everyone, and no
one talks about
second class
citizens.
for integration between the
Russian seniors and the non-
Russian seniors.
"It worked!" Sandweiss ex-
claims. "There was a real tur-
naround at camp. The Rus-
sian seniors and the non=
Russian seniors began talk-
ing with each other, dining
with each other and taking
walks together. Conversa-
tions were a mixture of
English, Yiddish, Russian
and lots of gesturing. And
these good feelings carried
over when they returned to
the Center.
Today, the Center is perceiv-
ed as a friendly place by
everyone who attends and no
one talks about second-class
citizens. In fact, Polskaya, a
one-time college instructor, is
teaching a Russian class to
her non-Russian peers.
"The Bible says that all
Jews are good friends
regardless where they come
from," says Kleiman. "Well,
let me tell you, I've made
some pretty good friends here.
They're very grateful and
very happy and that makes
me feel good."
Many new activities for
Russian seniors were
established over the last two
.