DETROIT

AMY J. MEHLER

Staff Writer

B

oris Vodopyanov
looked understan-
dably nervous Sunday
as he suddenly found himself
surrounded by an excited
group of teen-age girls.
But that didn't stop this
band of messengers. They
marched right up to Mr.
Vodopyanov at his Oak Park
home, wished him a happy
Purim and dropped a freshly
wrapped assortment of
shalach manot into his
hands.
As understanding slowly
dawned, Mr. Vodopyanov
beckoned to his 4-year-old
son, Dmitri. The little boy
peddled over on his tricycle,
but he seemed more intent
on counting the goodies than
listening to his father's ex-
planation of their new-found
bounty.
"This is our first Jewish
holiday in America," Mr.
Vodopyanov told the group
of Kadima and United Syn-
agogue Youth members. "I
want that my boy should
understand this."
All over town, members of
various youth groups were
participating in the third

annual community-wide
Purim Parcel Project, a pro-
gram jointly sponsored by
The Jewish News and Jew-
ish Experiences For
Families.
Sue Stettner, associate di-
rector of J.E.F.F., said she
predicts almost 3,000
packages would be delivered
to Jews this Purim. Giving
food to friends and neighbors
is a Purim tradition.
"It's a wonderful oppor-
tunity for parents to teach
their children about the
mitzvah of giving and shar-

"This is our first
Jewish holiday in
America. I want
that my boy should
understand this."

Boris Vodopyanov

ing," Mrs. Stettner said.
"It's also wonderful to give
so many people a part in
welcoming the newest
newcomers to the commun-
ity."
Elaine Lavetter of
Southfield was one of scores
of volunteers waiting to pro-
cess packages at drop-off
sites at the Agency for Jew-

Carly Schiff can't decide which package she'll help deliver for Purim

14

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 1991

ish Education in Southfield,
the Jimmy Prentis Morris
Jewish Community Center
and the Maple-Drake Jewish
Community Center.
Assembled parcels were
given to members of local
Jewish youth groups for
distribution among in-
dividual families and area
nursing homes.
Mrs. Lavetter, who was
busy stuffing hamantashen,
fruits and candies into
cellophane-covered plates
and transparent zip lock
bags, didn't have much time
for chit-chat. Part of her job,
she said, was to make sure
packages were filled with
kosher products and that the
bags marked for Soviet Jew-
ish families contained ex-
planatory letters.
"I came to celebrate Purim
a little early this year and
have a little fun at the same
time," Mrs. Lavetter said
while she packed empty car-
tons.
Kids like Andy Fidelman,
13, and Jamie Burnstein, 12,
were carefully guarding the
nearby supplies of haman-
tashen and candies.
"We didn't realize that it
was a real mitzvah to give
shalach manot," the two
seventh graders said as they
scarfed down fistfuls of donut
holes. "We're going to be
delivering our packages to
nearby nursing homes."
Erika Jablin, 12, said she
was looking forward to
visiting a number of Soviet
Jewish families.
"It's kind of like trick-or-
treating," she said. "Only
we're giving out candies in-
stead of taking them."
Lora Weberman, 13, who
has delivered shalach manot
before, said she liked the
element of surprise best.
"It's fun when they have
no idea why you're there or
that you're coming," the
seventh grader from Abbott
Middle School said.
Anna Silayeva, who moved
from Leningrad to Oak Park
three months ago, was
visibly surprised. She had
just come home when she
saw the Kadima-USY group
hovering outside her door.
She understood why they
were there once she read the
letter in Russian explaining
the holiday.
Fortunately, 11-year-old
Karine Federmesser, who
arrived in Oak Park nine
months ago with her family,
was visiting her grand-
parents when the group of

Photos by Bob McKeown

Youth Greet Immigrants
With Purim Shalach Manot

Elaine Lavetter and Jennifer Kristal bring packages they filled to
waiting youth groups

girls arrived. She agreed to
act as translator.
But some of the girls felt a
translation wasn't really
necessary.
"You can kind of tell what

they are feeling and trying
to say without actually
understanding their words,"
Lora said. "There are some
looks that break through
language barriers."

❑

Nazi Victims Eligible
To Receive Restitution

SUSAN GRANT

Staff Writer

T

ime is running out for
Detroit area residents
who seek compensa-
tion from the German
government for property lost
in eastern Germany during
the Nazi regime.
A claim for property losses
between 1933 and 1945 due
to persecution on the basis of
race, faith or political con-
victions must reach the Min-
istry of Justice of the Fed-
eral Republic of Germany by
March 31, said Peter
Beerwerth, German consul
in Detroit. Property claims
can be filed for real estate,
art objects, antiques and
credit balances on bank ac-
counts located in what
became communist East
Germany after the war.
Approximately 30
Detroiters have submitted
claims to the reunified Ger-
man government, said
Wolfgang Halveland, deputy
consul who has been handl-
ing the applications. "Not
too many," he admits, but he
expects more in the coming
weeks.
The West German
government had long since
made restitution to victims
of the Nazis, Mr. Halveland
said. However, the East
German government offered
no compensation until the
recent reunification of East
and West Germany.
To file a claim, applicants

can call the German con-
sulate -in Detroit for a
registration form, Mr.
Halveland said. The forms
can then be returned either
to the consulate, or mailed
directly to the ministry of
justice.
It may take up to two years
for claims to be returned,
depending on the level of
documentation.
If someone with a claim
has any documentation,
"that would help a lot," he
said. Although it is unlikely

There is a March
31 deadline for
reparations.

those fleeing from the Nazis
would have retained any
documentation, he notes
people should not rely on
East German records, which
have not been well kept.
Alex Ehrmann, executive
committee member of the
Shaarit Haplaytah organ-
ization of Holocaust sur-
vivors, urges people who
qualify to file claims against
the German government.
While he can not file a
claim because his family had
no property in Germany, Mr.
Ehrmann said he wishes he
could do so. Although money
will not compensate for his
pain and suffering under the
Nazis, "if I could get
anything out of the German
government, I would do
that," he said.

❑