I AROUND TOWN
Formerly of Hair Fashions by Ronald .. .
New World
Now, Full Time at
Continued from preceding page
RONDANIEL
*NOW
OPEN
SUNDAYS
Polina Brayman speaks to Vladmir Geller and Fanny Shienker.
Ron Rob, Carol, Ron, & Charles
29977 ORCHARD LAKE ROAD
FARMINGTON HILLS, MICHIGAN 48334
(2 Blks. N. of 13 Mile Rd.)
(313) 855-1050
BUNDLES & BASKETS
CUSTOMIZED
BASKETS
OuR ,
GE r ;FT.
Your Kids Depend
On You
To Do The Thinking
For Them!
WELco L L
r HANK /14E
YOu
SHOWER
EXECUTIVE
ANNIVERSARY
SWEET 16
VEGAS
NEW HOUSE
HOTEL HOSTESS
WEDDING
8L/DO/R BAS
KETS
KETs
SPORT-c r N'S
LOVER
COY--0 o up, - T10 1
HS
RHY"Ht/
SCI-SA11°
MosteCarct
V
(313) 788-2600
I DIANE HAUER
ME BASKETS
GEORGANN WOLF
Harriet Friedman's
PHOTOGRAPHY
Weddings • Bar Mitzvahs • Portraits
Sport Teams • Old Photos Copied
Instant Passport Photos
25784 Middlebelt Road
(Mid-Eleven Center)
Farmington Hills, MI 48018 1
\44(:13) 477-4753
CAPTURE YOUR FINEST MOMENT WITH...
UNICI-1T1. 4/4
MASTER OF
Vtv
u
352-7030
They Just Want To Play
• Largest Selection of 2x4 & 4x4 Sets
• Installation Available • 20 Yr. Warranty
• Visit Our Facility To See Equipment First Hand
nili Vlodfrital &
SO/diet SitOfr
Mon.-Sat. 10.5 • Friday 10.8
3947 W. 12 Mile Rd. • Berkley
PO.
oo t ot rau tt ic
...Building Memories
For Tomorrow
TODAY!
David M. Deutsch, C.P.P.
"Award Winning Portrait Artist"
569-6550
music's jammin hot—
Gotta Dance!
The CLASS ACT
— DJ's --
FEATURING
CLOSED MONDAYS • PASSPORT PHOTOS WHILE YOU WAIT
26571 W. TWELVE MILE RD. AT NORTHWESTERN HWY.
STUART ROGOFF
For booking info. call,
(313) 358-5744
88
FRIDAY, MARCH 22, 1991
543,3115
difficult to make friends. We
have American friends, but
it is different because of the
language."
While the purpose of the
New World Club is to pro-
vide a social outlet, presi-
dent Vladmir Geller makes
sure Judaism is the primary
focal point.
"We wanted to give people
back their yiddishkeit," said
Mr. Geller, who has been the
group's president for 10
years after arriving in
Detroit from Riga, Latvia
with his wife and two boys.
"We do all we can do to
make a Jewish life for our
members," said Alice
Klemptner, another longtime
member. "A Jewish life in
Russia was not possible. It
was not possible to go to
synagogue, to speak Yiddish
or to celebrate Jewish
holidays."
"Here no one stares if they
see a Jew wearing tzitzit and
a yarmulke," Ms. Klemp-
tner said. "We wanted to be
part of such a life."
While some club members
are religious and others are
not, all have an opportunity
to learn about Judaism
through the New World
Club's events. Since form-
ing, the group has regularly
celebrated Rosh Hashanah,
Chanukah, Purim and
Passover together. The next
event will be a seder under
the guidance of the Lubavit-
ch.
Although the club has no
regularly scheduled
meetings, the 115 members
get together to celebrate
Jewish holidays, attend con-
certs given by Soviet musi-
cians or watch videotapes of
Soviet movies, Ms. Shienker
said. There is even a
summer picnic held at a
nearby park.
But most of their gather-
ings are held at the Jimmy
Prentis Morris Jewish
Community Center.
"We don't have a special
room. We are homeless," Ms.
Shienker said. "But the
Center gives us a room
whenever we want to hold a
meeting or celebrations."
Because they must pay
rent to use the Center on the
weekend, most of their
events are held during the
week. "We are very poor
people; there is not enough
money," Ms. Shienker said.
Each club member pays $1 a
month.
The club has opened up its
treasury in past years to
contribute to the Passage for
Freedom campaign helping
Soviet Jews to reach Israel,
and to Ben Zion, a Haifa
hospital.
While the club has re-
mained true to its original
intention of providing an
atmosphere where Soviet
Jews can socialize and learn
yiddishkeit, its membership
over the years has changed
to an older crowd.
When the club first form-
ed, newcomers of all ages
were invited to participate,
Ms. Shienker said. While
that policy hasn't changed,
in time, as the younger
members went to work, they
slowly dropped out of the
club.
Most members have also
been in Detroit for 10 years,
but with the new Soviet im-
migration wave, the New
World Club has slightly
expanded its membership.
Members are adamant
about expressing love for
their adopted country. At
their recent Purim party,
not only did they celebrate
the defeat of Haman, but of
Iraqi President Hussein.
"While it is hard to come
to a new world, we are happy
we are here," said Mrs.
Klemptner who volunteers
as a translator for Jewish
Family Service. A few years
ago, she and her husband
became United States
citizens. "We are truly
grateful for the United
States. We are very proud of
our country." ❑