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Soviet Jews
Continued from Page 1
course and to Rockford, Ill.,
to inspect transmission
parts.
He was as surprised to see
familiar Detroit faces in
Chicago as were the three-
member Detroit delegation
who attended the con-
ference.
Sue Stettner, associate di-
rector of Jewish Experiences
For Families, and Sandra
Hyman, director of Reset-
tlement Service, were the
first to spot Mr. Mor-
dukhovich in the lobby of
the North Shore Hilton.
Luba Berton of West Bloom-
field, who publishes a mon-
thly Russian newsletter,
also attended the conference.
"We like to think of Greg
as one of our success
stories," Mrs. Stettner said.
"No new American is the
same and everyone settles in
at a different rate. But Greg
is an example of someone
who is determined to succeed
and who tries as best he can
to attend Jewish community
events."
But it always wasn't like
that for Mr. Mordukhovich,
who came to Detroit with his
mother.
"My story is much like
other Soviet stories," Mr.
Mordukhovich, who taught
himself English, said.
"When we got here, every-
thing was confusing and
overwhelming.
"Everyone tells us the
rights we have and the
rights we don't have. We're
in a smoke screen trying to
handle the psychological loss
of being cut off from every-
thing we had before and
starting over from zero."
Like most Jewish com-
munities, Detroit's Jewish
agencies try to make the
process as painless as possi-
ble.
When they first arrived
almost two years ago, Mr.
Mordukhovich and his
mother were assigned a Rus-
sian-speaking case manager
who helped them under-
stand the American
transportation, banking, in-
surance and postage
systems.
Through the Jewish Fami-
ly Service, the two received a
total of $2,600 — enough
money to put down a securi- .
ty deposit on an apartment
and pay the first month's
rent. A grant from the Heb-
rew Free Loan Association
enabled Mr. Mordukhovich
to buy a car. The Jewish
Vocational Service showed
him how to interview and
conduct a job search.
Detroit's Jewish Experi-
ences For Families program
encouraged Mr. Mor-
dukhovich to participate in
Shalom Sundays, a program
at the Jimmy Prentis Morris
Jewish Community Center
that combines Judaic studies
with recreational and
cultural activities. In addi-
tion, JFS matched the Mor-
dukhoviches with a local
family through the Family
to Family program.
It all sounded good to Mr.
Mordukhovich, but it was a
bit too much to absorb in the
beginning.
"Sometimes, I feel like
we're treated like children,"
he said. "Every moment is
programmed. Everyone
wants us to jump into the
American system and learn
something about Judaism at
the same time.
"We try because we are so
grateful for all the help and
because we feel guilty -if we
don't go along. But all we
really want is to find an
apartment and money to pay
rent with. Then we worry
about where the next meal is
coming from."
Mr. Mordukhovich is
typical of most new Ameri-
cans, according to Dr. Elaine
Morris, director of Special
Services for the Council of
"We're in a
smoke screen
trying to handle
the psychological
loss of being cut
off from everything
we had before and
starting over from
zero."
— Gregory Mordukhovich
Jewish Federations in New
York. "We realize we bom-
bard them with every alien
concept imaginable," Dr.
Morris said. "We naively
expect them to trust us
implicitly. Unfortunately,
it's necessary. And that's
why we're here this week to
forge a better understanding
between our two cultures."
CJF has already begun
working with professionals
in the field of resettlement
and integration. Other con-
ference co-sponsors, like the
JCCs, the Jewish Education
Service of North America
(JESNA), the Association of
Jewish Family and Chil-
dren's Agencies and the Na-
tional Foundation for Jewish
Culture research and
publish inventories of ex-
isting programs. They also
present networking and
training opportunities for
professionals and lay people.
Mrs. Stettner and Mrs.
Hyman want to see federa-
tion agencies working closer
together in the future.