CLOSE-UP

RUSSIAN
IEVOUMON

26

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1990

improved, Ms. Levi said. She
added that the students
often help each other when
someone doesn't understand
the English translation.
Rabbi Freedman said
while teachers may have
had to make an adjustment
for the Soviet students in
their classroom, the experi-
ence has provided for an
unexpected benefit.
"It helped the teachers to
learn skills they didn't know
they had. Nov they can
better deal with American
children who need tutorial
work," he said. "If an
American student needs
help on his Hebrew, we have
the staff in place to give it."
American students are
also adjusting to their new
classmates.
The Soviet children at
Yeshiva Beth Yehudah,
Akiva and Hillel are often
invited to spend Shabbat
with an American family. At
the Orthodox day schools,
classmate to classmate, a
take-off on the Family to
Family program, was cre-
ated. Each Soviet student is
paired with an American
classmate who is responsible

for making sure homework
assignments are understood
and to answer any questions.
Friendships between
Soviet and American chil-
dren are common. Marina
Muratova, 9, said she has
made a lot of American
friends at Beth Jacob.
Dr. Smiley said having
foreign students is nothing
new for Hillel. "Our kids
deal with Israelis all the
time," he said.
For the older students,
many of whom had actively
participated in efforts to
help Jews leave the Soviet
Union, there is a feeling of
accomplishment.
"We heard so much about
the need to support activities
to get the refuseniks out,
now the children here can
see the fruit of their work,"
Dr. Smiley said. "The
student-run Soviet Jewry
Committee has a different
feel on it now that two Soviet
students sit on the com-
mittee." "We recognize that
our first job is to educate. If
there is going to be any
movement to integrate the
Russian families into the
Jewish community, it has to

be done through education,"
Rabbi Freedman said.
The question remains
whether these Soviet Jews
will embrace their Jewish
heritage or if they, like the
previous wave 10 years ago,
will mostly drop out of
sight. No one knows the an-
swer, but educators know if
they don't try, the answer
will be obvious.
"We're paying a dividend
on our future," Rabbi
Freedman said. "We hope
they will remember what
we've given them, and when
we need them they will give
back to the community and
will be a part of the com-
munity."
One of 28 Soviet children
enrolled in the yeshiva, Julia
Karesik spends her morning
hours studying Hebrew.
In the afternoons, she joins
her fifth grade class to study
math, science and English.
And although her family
isn't ready to lead a religious
life, Julia is well aware of
her Jewish heritage.
"Its not an Orthodox, Con-
servative or Reform issue.
It's a Jewish issue," Rabbi
Goldberg said. Ei

Pnina Levi with Larrisa
Muratova, Julia Karesik,
Marina Muratova, and
Alina Kamensky.