THE JEWISH NEWS THIS ISSUE 60( SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY NOVEMBER 27, 1987 / 6 KISLEV 5748 Sharansky Is Driven To Beat The Odds LILA ORBACH Special to The Jewish News During his years as a Prisoner of Zion and more recently in his new life in Israel, Natan Sharansky has come to symbolize the struggle of Soviet Jewry for freedom. In person, though, Sharansky is far from superhuman. Little more than five feet tall and worried about his weak heart, he is nevertheless driven to use his strength to win in- ternational recognition of the plight of Soviet Jews. Sharansky made a brief stop in Detroit earlier this week, hoping to mobilize more Detroiters to the Dec. 6 rally for Soviet Jewry in Washington, D.C. "The fate of our brothers and sisters in the Soviet Union is in our hands;' Sharansky told the nearly 500 people, mostly students, who packed the auditorium at the United Hebrew Schools in Southfield Sunday morning. "It is very important that Natan Sharansky at United Hebrew Schools. Secretary Gorbachev will hear our message and let our people go." Scheduled for the eve of the Reagan-Gorbachev summit, the Washington demonstration is ex- pected to be one of the largest Jewish rallies ever. Officials are predicting a crowd of 100,000. Despite the highly-publicized release of several prominent Soviet Jews in recent months, Sharansky warned his audience not to be fooled by Gorbachev's "public relation's cam- paign," as fewer and fewer visas are being granted in general. "He is not a champion of human rights," said the freed Soviet dissident. "Gorbachev is much more interested in his image in the West than any of his predecessors. We must show him we are not deciev- ed by his good but limited gestures." Due to new immigration laws im- plemented last January, only those with immediate family abroad may apply to leave the Soviet Union. Therefore, 90 percent of the 400,000 Continued on Page 12 Leonard Poger 13-year-old Linda Goldstein has some lofty dreams on her swimming horizon