Local Agencies Are Gearing Up
For New Wave Of Immigration
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
T
Former editor and New York Times columnist A.M. Rosenthal was the
speaker for the opening of the 1990 Allied Jewish Campaign Dec. 13.
The Campaign opened with a record $20.4 million.
West Bloomfield Puts
Dent In Lubavitch Plans
SUSAN GRANT
Staff Writer
A
proposed West
Bloomfield Township
ordinance may put
the Lubavitch Foundation's
plans to build an educational
and religious retreat on
West Maple Road back in
jeopardy.
The foundation
thought it had won a victory
when township trustees
voted 3-2 Nov. 20 against a
proposal to exempt colleges
and universities in an area
zoned for single-family use.
If the proposal had passed, it
would have prevented the
foundation from building its
retreat, which would include
a rabbinical college, unless
Continued on Page 16
he number of Soviet
Jews arriving in
Detroit this fiscal year
will soar from the 300 pro-
jected last spring to 1,000 by
June 1, 1990. The new ar-
rivals — 550 since June 1,
1989 — are straining com-
munity agencies, but are not
expected to alter Jewish
communal funding or
priorities.
Jewish Family Service is
preparing to submit its fifth
budget request this year to
the Jewish Welfare Federa-
tion. Jewish Vocational Ser-
vice is planning to complete
unfinished space in its
Southfield Road building to
accommodate additional staff
and new Soviet Jewish
clients.
Other local Jewish agen-
cies are making similar
changes to provide the new
arrivals with housing,
transportation, English
classes and other needs until
the immigrants can get on
their feet.
The cost to the Detroit
Jewish community is ex-
pected to range from $1.3 to
$1.8 million, depending on
the type of immigrant.
Robert Aronson, new exec-
utive vice president of the
Jewish Welfare Federation,
expects 200 of the 1,000
Soviet Jews coming here to
be "free" cases — persons
not linked to local anchor
families who provide some
support.
The Federation is
allocating $1,300 a person
Some 450 more
Soviet Jews are
expected to come
to Detroit in the
next six months.
Agencies are
straining, but
keeping up with
the influx.
for anchored immigrants or
family reunification cases,
and $1,800 for free cases.
Part of the costs are return-
ed to the Jewish community
through Hebrew Immigrant
Aid Society payments for
transportation costs, U.S.
block grant funds to the
Council of Jewish Federa-
tions, disbursement of funds
collected throughout the
United States in the Passage
to Freedom Campaign and
loans to the anchor families.
Federation has allocated
an additional $300,000 to
Jewish Vocational Service
and the Michigan Depart-
ment of Social Services has
provided an extra $100,000.
JVS Executive Director
Albert Ascher says these
funds and additional sup-
plements for Federation are
being used to hire staff.
In addition to job place-
ment, JVS has begun its own
English-as-a-Second-
Language class to supple-
ment the program at the
Jimmy Prentis Morris
Jewish Comnmnity Center.
The Agency for Jewish Edu-
cation is helping JVS to for-
mulate classes for children
while their parents are in
the JVS nighttime language
courses.
"December is a tradi-
tionally slow time for job
placement," Ascher says,
and JVS will use the time to
Continued on Page 14
ROUND UP
Safety Shabbat
Set For Feb. 10-14
The National Safety Coun-
cil is encouraging religious
leaders and congregations of
all denominations to par-
ticipate in the 12th annual
National Safety Shabbat,
Feb. 10-14.
Coordinated by the coun-
cil's religious leaders' divi-
sion, Safety Sabbath offers
STOP! DROP!
MGM Away
To The Ground
ROLL!
Over And Over
To Put Out
The Flames
Part of the National Safety
Council's brochure showing
children what to do if their clothes
catch on fire.
information on leading
safer, healthier lives. At the
heart of the campaign is the
conviction that life is a gift
from God that must be pro-
tected by living safely. The
theme of this year's Safety
Sabbath is "Love One An-
other, Help Save Lives."
Safety Sabbath activities
will focus on school bus safe-
ty, children and strangers,
and congregation acces-
sibility for the disabled.
The National Safety Coun-
cil is a non-governmental,
not-for-profit public service
organization. For informa-
tion, contact the council, 444
N. Michigan Ave., Chicago,
Ill. 60611, (312) 527-4800.
Women's Organization,
N'Shei Chabad of Michigan,
also will feature Chanukah
games, a 25-minute video of
a puppet show presenting
"The Miracle of Chanukah"
and an arts and crafts booth
where children may make
their own decorations.
At 2 p.m. Dec. 24, the
booth will include
"Chanukah Dreidelrama"
with a clown and a raffle.
video purported to show
Higgins dead.
Ross said Robin Higgins,
39, a major in the Marine
corps, visited her husband in
Lebanon two months before
his kidnapping.
Ross said he is "98 percent
sure" Higgins is dead, but
"there's always 2 percent
until I see a body."
Dreidel House
Spins Into Town
Lt. Col. Higgins'
Jewish Connection
The Dreidel House, a
Chanukah booth for
children, is open at Orchard
Mall 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. Dec. 24,
26, 27, 28 and noon - 5 p.m.
Dec. 29.
Shaped like a dreidel, the
booth will display the
history of the holiday and a
doll that lights its own me-
norah. Each child will
receive a Chanukah gift
pack with a dreidel, gelt,
treats and holiday
brochures.
The Dreidel House, spon-
sored by the Lubavitch
For months Norman and
Rhoda Ross kept quiet about
their daughter's identity,
fearful that Robin Higgins'
Judaism would further
jeopardize the life of their
son-in-law, U.S. Marine Lt.
Col. William Higgins.
A yellow ribbon has been
sitting under the front door
mezuzah of the Ross' Delray
Beach, Fla., home since
Moslem extremists in
Lebanon kidnapped Higgins
in 1 9 8 8 ,- The Broward
Jewish World reports. The
extremists later released a
The Washington-based
Religious Action Center of
Reform Judaism is
spearheading a campaign to
recruit physician volunteers
to provide medical help for
Ethiopia's Godar region. The
residents of this remote nor-
thern area of the country in-
clude more than 10,000 Jews
unable to emigrate to Israel
during Operation Moses.
Project REAP, Reform's
Ethiopian Assistance Pro-
gram, already has sent more
than 20 medical profes-
sionals to Gondar. It is fund-
ed by Reform congregations
and their members.
Physicians interested in
Doctors Needed
For Ethiopian Jews
volunteering should write or
call Project REAP, c/o the
Religious Action Center of
Reform Judaism, 2027
Massachusetts Ave. NW,
Washington, D.C., 20036,
(202) 387-2800.
Temple Emanu-El's
Gift To Children
Hundreds of gifts for
children poured into
Children's Hospital this
week thanks to a drive led
by Temple Emanu-El. -
During its second annual
Social Action Shabbat last
weekend, temple members
donated and collected more
than 200 gifts, including a
new bicycle, for 81 children
hospitalized with AIDS.
The project was the brain-
child of Laura Saks Kohn,
who also has led drives to
support a local soup kitchen
and JARC, the Jewish
Association for Retarded
Citizens.
Compiled by
Elizabeth Applebaum
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
7