I UP FRONT
Ross Is Opening Valve On
Michigan-Israel 'Pipeline'
ARTHUR M. HORWITZ
Associate Publisher
he pipeline may not be as
profitable as the one which
exists between Michigan and
Japan, but Michigan Commerce
Department Director Doug Ross is op-
timistic his upcoming trip to Israel
will lead to new opportunities for
Michiganians to do business with
their Israeli counterparts.
Ross, who along with state Rep.
Burt Leland (D-Detroit) will be depar-
ting for Israel on Sunday, will meet
with Israeli government officials,
marketing directors of principal
universities and representatives of in-
dustry to try and establish a "hassle-
free connection" that will match
Israeli brainpower, particularly in the
areas of industrial technology and
biotechnology, with Michigan venture
capitalists and entrepreneurs.
What Ross envisions is an effec-
tive network that connects Israelis in-
terested in commercializing new
technology and Michiganians with
The senior Tufelds are just two of similar interests.
the estimated 400,000 Soviet Jews
"We are looking for a deal to flow
who want to move to Israel or the between Israel and Michigan involv-
United States. Of those, about 20,000 ing agreements to license new pro-
have applied for visas to freedom.
ducts, joint ventures to produce new
Since the fight for emigration products or agreements to distribute
began 15 years ago, about 280,000 in each other's markets," Ross told
refuseniks have fled the Soviet Union, The Jewish News this week. "The
U.S. State Department officials said. measure would be the amount of
But, the officials believe, that figure business done between Israelis and
is much too low.
people here. We're not interested in
"It's a sovereign and inalienable the ceremonial . . . we're looking to do
right to leave:' said Daniel Grossman, business!'
human rights officer for Soviet Affairs
Currently, three other states —
with the U.S. Department of State. Texas, Massachusetts and Connec-
Unfortunately, Grossman said, those ticut — have formal economic rela-
tions with Israel. Ross said Michigan
Continued on Page 12
T
Igor Tufeld explains his plight.
Human Rights Plea Hears
A Divided Family's. Anguish
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Special to The Jewish News
s
ix-year-old Daniel Tufeld and
his newborn brother, Michael
Mordechai Tufeld, may never
know their Russian grandparents.
Although the boy's father, Igor
Tufeld, emigrated from Russia to
Jerusalem ten years ago, grand-
parents Vladimir and Izolda Tufeld
have not been so fortunate. Each suf-
fers from acute health problems that
demand proper medical attention, but
the. Soviets have repeatedly denied
visas to the couple. The refusals are
for alleged knowledge of state secrets.
currently maintains full-time
overseas offices in Japan, Belgium,
Hong Kong and Nigeria to foster
trade and economic development.
While the Israel-Texas connection
is focusing primarily on agriculture,
Ross believes an Israel-Michigan
match would tap into the surplus of
high-technology ideas emenating
from Tel Aviv and Hebrew univer-
sities, lbchnion and Weizmann In-
stitute of Science.
A recent cover story in The
Jewish News on the development of a
non-toxic anti AIDS substance pro-
duced from eggs by Weizmann scien-
tists and sold to a Los Angeles-based
pharmaceutical company for future
production, development and
marketing is an example of the types
of relationships Ross envisions for
Michigan businesses.
Because of the trade agreement
signed between the U.S. and Israel in
1985 that allows for duty-free flow of
goods and services between the coun- _
tries, Ross sees Michigan businesses
tapping these universities in the
same way they would the University
of Michigan, Michigan State Univer-
sity and Wayne State University.
Ross said that through the state's
Strategic Fund, "we've identified
high-tech entrepreneurs and venture
capitalists on the lookout for new
ideas with potential.
"We'll see if the universities are
producing ideas where a Michigan
-business partner would be welcomed
to help penetrate the marketplace,"
he added.
The Strategic Fund is a public in-
vestment company within the Com-
merce Department that invests in
Continued on Page. 12
!ROUND UP
Council Greets
Hockey Team
Members of the Soviet
Jewry Committee of the
Jewish Community Council
will hand out leaflets Satur-
day night at Joe Louis Arena
before the start of the Team
USA - Soviet national hockey
team game.
JCCouncil representatives
have told arena personnel
that they will not try to pre-
vent persons from seeing the
game. "We only want to
distribute information," said
Allan Gale, the Council's
assistant director.
Pamphlets will be handed
out which welcome the Soviet
team, but remind the au-
dience that thousands of
Soviet Jews would also like to
travel outside Russia. Pam-
phlets and signs will carry
messages such as "Restricted
immigration is unsport-
smanlike," Score a goal for
freedom for Soviet Jews;' and
"If you think these guys are
rough, you should see the
guys back home!'
The pamphlet says the
demonstrators are in favor of
cultural exchanges with the
Soviets, "but we would also
like to see the Soviets address
their human rights issues!' A
similar informational
demonstration was held last
spring when the Moiseyev
ballet performed in Windsor
and at Masonic Auditorium.
Sinai Lays Off
More Employees
In what Executive Vice -
President Irving Shapiro call-
ed "a modest kind of change:'
Sinai Hospital of Detroit laid
off more than 40 employees
last month.
The layoffs, Shapiro said,
"were part of an overall effort
to look at productivity at
various areas of the hospital!"
Sinai spokeswoman, Suzanne
Timma said the layoffs were
made "to streamline the
organization." Cuts were
made from various depart-
ments in the hospital, and an
outplacement service was
made available to the releas-
ed employees. The hospital
employes about 3,500
persons.
Timma hinted that more
cuts were expected after Jan.
1, however, no information is
currently available. She said
that the hospital hoped to
save jobs and make cuts in
other areas, such as "non-
patient oriented supplies."
Prayerbooks
Sent To Russia
New York — Five thousand
copies of a Hebrew-Russian
prayerbook for use by Soviet
Jews were shipped to Moscow
on a recent Pan-Am flight, it
was reported by Rabbi Arthur
Schneier, president of the Ap-
peal of Conscience Founda-
tion, an inter-religious
organization concerned with
religious freedom.
The prayerbooks were sent
to Rabbi Adolph Schayevich of
the Moscow Chorale
Synagogue by the foundation.
Rabbi Schneier said that
the prayerbooks were the first
officially allowed into the
Soviet Union in more than a
decade. The shipment follows
the transport to Moscow last
April of 5,000 copies of a
Hebrew-Russian Pentateuch
— the five books of Moses —
also with official Soviet ap-
proval. The prayerbooks will
be distributed to synagogues
throughout the Soviet Union
along with the copies of the
Pentateuch.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 5