I NEWS twimmami"
CONGREGATION B'NAI DAVID
B'nai B'rith Has
USSR Recognition
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44
FRIDAY, AUGUST 23, 1991
Washington (JTA) —
When the Leningrad unit of
B'nai B'rith International
opened an office there last
October, it became the first
Jewish cultural institution
to be officially recognized in
the Soviet Union.
Official recognition has
made it easier for the 150-
member unit to conduct its
programs, said Grigory
Vilenchik, the chapter's
president. At the same time,
however, "it is more
dangerous for us" because
anti-Semitic groups "now
know about us, know our
address."
Anti-Semitism has come
out into the open in Len-
ingrad, as it has across the
Soviet Union, because of the
country's move to a more
open, democratic society.
But the same process has
allowed B'nai B'rith to
emerge from underground
into a legitimately recog-
nized organization in Len-
ingrad, he said.
The impact of this past
week's events on the future of
B'nai B'rith in the Soviet
Union remains to be seen.
Mr. Vilenchik noted that
frequently, in the streets of
Leningrad, a member of the
anti-Semitic group, Pamyat,
will be handing out leaflets,
while nearby a member of
B'nai B'rith or some other
Jewish group is doing the
same thing.
As in other countries,
B'nai B'rith in the Soviet
Union has become a symbol
for those attacking Jews,
with articles in the news-
papers accusing the interna-
tional organization of all
kinds of crimes, particularly
economic ones, Mr. Vilen-
chik said.
To neutralize such threats,
the unit has sought to estab-
lish close contacts with Len-
ingrad municipal officials,
Mr. Vilenchik said.
"We realize that at any
moment we can be closed,"
he said. "We have to be very
careful in our work to know
the laws."
Mr. Vilenchik was in
Washington under the
auspices of B'nai B'rith's
international department to
pick up some pointers on
programs and to meet with
the organization's officials
and representatives of other
Jewish organizations.
Other members of the Len-
ingrad unit are currently
visiting Israel, Britain and
Finland.
The organization seems off
to a good start since its foun-
ding in 1989. Vilenchik, a
37-year-old building engi-
neer, was one of the original
organizers and became the
unit's president when the
former president emigrated
to Israel.
Mr. Vilenchik said that
Jews in Leningrad want to
know more about Jewish
history and culture. He said
that while there are many
Jewish organizations in the
city, the B'nai B'rith unit
has been able to provide a
broader program because of
its assistance from B'nai
B'rith's international
department in Washington.
Hillel Kuttler, the inter-
national department's
Soviet unit coordinator,
keeps in touch with the Len-
ingrad group weekly by
telephone.
But he stressed the growth
of the unit has been largely
due to the initiative of the
leaders in Leningrad.
The membership is mainly
made up of men and women
25 to 45 years old, Mr.
Vilenchik said. Many plan to
emigrate to Israel, but
others want to remain in the
Soviet Union.
The unit's success is due to
a core group of 15 to 20 peo-
ple, whose personal and pro-
fessional skills fuel the
chapter's programs. For ex-
ample, teachers provide
English and Hebrew lessons
and doctors contribute to the
medical program.
The most popular program
is Hebrew, with classes on
various levels held
throughout Leningrad.
Some 400 people are taking
Hebrew classes, mostly
adults planning to im-
migrate to Israel. Children
learn Hebrew outside the
B'nai B'rith program in
classes held at the Len-
ingrad synagogue either
after school or on Sundays.
The unit does, however,
have several sports pro-
grams for the youth. Among
them is a class in the martial
arts. Students in that pro-
gram provide security at the
unit's meetings, Mr. Vilen-
chik said.
After Hebrew classes, the
most popular program is a
sort of medical "hot line," in
which people with medical
problems call B'nai B'rith
and are referred to the prop-
er specialists.
- There is also a program for
older people living alone,
who receive food, medical
help, clothes and other ne-
cessities.
(