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Emigres Need Religion,
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FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1991
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AMY J. MEHLER
Staff Writer
S
ometimes it's what
you don't hear that
sounds the loudest
alarm.
Last week, I spent three
. days observing a conference
convened for the sole pur-
pose of appraising the day-to-
day and spiritual needs of
Soviet Jewish immigrants.
The conference, which in-
cluded leaders from the
Council of Jewish Federa-
tions, the Jewish Education
Service of North America,
and the New York Associ-
ation for New Americans,
couldn't do enough to stress
the significance of gathering
professionals from Jewish
social service agencies under
one roof.
, They said this was the first
time such a meeting was
called to examine the kinds
of tactics that work and the
kinds of tactics that fail
when it comes to ac-
culturating and integrating
the Soviet Jewish population
into the North American
Jewish community.
In workshop after
workshop, one point became
clear. Not one participant
suggested that religious
observance of Shabbat,
kashrut or Taharat Mish-
pachah, laws of family
purity, played even the
tiniest role in acculturating
and integrating the Soviet
immigrants into the Jewish
community.
Sure, some Jewish holi-
days and a mention of candle-
lighting were listed as real-
istic expectations, but only
for their cultural significance.
Many participants went so far
as to debate the relevance and
importance of one Jewish
holiday over another.
I am not naive. I know too
well that a significant por-
tion, if not the majority of
the American Jewish estab-
lishment, has rejected Or-
thodox Judaism.
Nevertheless, as an Or-
thodox Jew, I am compelled .
to wonder about the people
to whom we've entrusted the
religious acculturation of
our Soviet Jewish brothers
and sisters — a population of
lost souls, having for genera-
tions been deliberately and
systematically cut off from
any knowledge or apprecia-
tion of Torah and mitzvot.
It's bad enough this occurs
at the hands of anti-Semites
behind the Iron Curtain; it
hurts me even more when I
see it happen through well-
meaning Jews in this coun-
try.
There is no question in my
mind as to the value of the
many wonderful and essen-
tial services the Jewish
agencies and federations
provide. They are too nu-
merous to count — finding
new immigrants apart-
ments, involving them in
Jewish communal events,
taking care of their start-up
expenses and placing them
with local Jewish families,
social workers and case
managers.
We have a Hebrew expres-
sion: Im ain kemach, ain
Torah, if there's no food,
there's no Torah. A person's
immediate basic needs must
It will take more
than Jewish food.
be met before they'll turn to
their spiritual side.
And as I heard from many
Jewish community leaders,
there are a lot more Or-
thodox Jews that could vol-
unteer their time and
resources in meeting these
kinds of needs.
However, as someone
who's lived both an Or-
thodox and irreligious
lifestyle, I believe it will
take more than Jewish food,
Chanukah candles and fami-
ly gatherings to keep our
"new Americans" from join-
ing the increasing number of
American Jews who are
assimilating in record
numbers.
It occurred to me, while
sitting in several plenary
sessions, that those who
spoke out were more inter-
ested in making over these
new Americans in their
image than in offering them
the full menu of Jewish op-
tions.
To me, this is an imperfect
image, and one that needs to
reacculturate itself back to
Judaism before it attempts
to attract other, less
knowledgeable Jews.
❑
Teen Connection
Wave Pool nip
BBYO/JCC Teen Connec-
tion will go to the Wave Pool
2-5:30 p.m. June 2. They will
leave from the Maple-Drake
Jewish Center at 2 p.m. and
from the Jimmy Prentis Mor-
ris building at 1:30 p.m.
For reservations, call Faith
Tam, 661-1000, Ext. 269.
There is a charge.