LOCAL NEWS ALL THE BEST NAIVES NOW AT onmE Emigres Need Religion, Not Just Culture Laura Biagiotti GIORGIO ARMANI Christian Dior GUCCI Beiu Monde TAX I GIARE° MIMI POLICE NEOSTYLE® FE SAVE $25 WITH THIS COUPON OUR ALREADY LOW SALE PRICES! This coupon is good for $25 OFF your choice of glasses (lenses and frames) or prescription sunglasses (lenses and frames). Offer good at Spec•tique West Bloomfield and Southfield only. Prior orders, V.S.P. and other discotint programs excluded. One coupon per patient. Limited time offer. Not valid with $69 package. WEST BLOOMFIELD 626-9590 6667 Orchard Lake Rd. SOUTHFIELD 647.9790 30800 Southfield Rd. Bring in Your Prescription & Save! Bring in Your Prescription & Save! Above prices and discount offers good at West Bloomfield and Southfield stores only. Limited time offer. EXAMINATIONS AVAILABLE! WALK-INS WELCOME! RODNICK BROS., INC. fruit Baskets WE SPECIALIZE IN THANK YOU, BABY GIFTS, GET WELL, ALL OCCASION GIFT & FRUIT BASKETS -4. JODI RODNICK * JUST CALL * 772-4350 DELIVERY NATIONWIDE WE'RE NUMBER ONE! 28 FRIDAY, MAY 24, 1991 DISCOUNTS ,Lyg $9999 INTERPLAK TOOTHBRUSH $63 88 SEIKO WATCHES 40-50% OFF sgg MONT BLANC PENS 40% OFF tgg CUISINART RCA-ZENITH TVs Oscar Braun's_NORELCO 15075 W. Lincoln O Park 968-5858 SHAVERS $29.88 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.