SOVIET JEWRY
Aleynu/Aish HaTorah and
Midrasha/The Agency for Jewish Education
Present
T
•
H
•
Jewish Miracles
E
ONE DAY DISCOVERY
What is Discovery?
"You'll come
home a
day older
and
5 000 years
wiser."
"Aish Discovery Sunday... Two
thumbs up. Entertaining, thought
provoking, challenging. A must
see!" Mandell Berman
DISCOVERY is an exciting
one-day seminar which has
captured the hearts and
The Discovery
stimulated the minds of 40,000
Jews on 4 continents - from
Sessions:
New York to Nairobi.
•Failsafe a series of work-
The DISCOVERY Seminar
shops which employ the tech-
aims to provide a thoughtful,
niques of the Israeli Mossad to
intelligent answer to the ques-
explore the Torah's origin.
tion, "Why be Jewish?" The
seminar is not a nostalgic
•The Hidden Codes of the
reiteration of Jewish traditions
and history. It is a bold, com-
Torah a provocative
Howard Tapper
pelling display of Judaism's
presentation of the hidden codes
past, present and future vitality.
discovered in the Torah throught
DISCOVERY's sophisticated
computer research.
approach was developed by
leading educators and scientists a nd adapted to a 'Seven Wonders of Jewish History a fascinat-
one-day format by Aish HaTorah, an organization ing look at the relationship between Jewish history and
with a unique ability to captivate c ritical-thinking prophecy in the Torah.
Jews with the profound meaning of their heritage.
-
-
-
"I thought the day was wonderful. The quality of th
speakers was uniformly excellent. This seminar
would certainly inspire people to become more
curious about their Judaism."
Marcie Hermelin Orley
Who attends Discovery?
The program is designed for Jewish men and
women of all ages who are short on time but long
on curiosity, who have a sophisticated secular
education but limited background in Jewish studies.
"It was exhilarating in many ways and the day went
by much too fast. I left feeling a much stronger
spiritual identity. I would recommend Discovery to
anyone who would like to increase their knowledge
of Judaism."
Jim Safran
"A program like Discovery is a fundamental link in
insuring the survival of our heritage. There are so
many of us who don't understand our history and
therefore don't care. If you'll spend the day, your
need to preserve Judaism will be rekindled."
Larry Garon
Time and Place:
Sunday, November 10, 1991
8:30 am to 6:30 pm
Agency for Jewish Education
21550 West 12 Mile Road
$50 per person including breakfast & lunch.
For more information or to register, call:
Aish HaTorah:
(313) 737-0400
A romantic gift that carries a special meaning
that she will always remember.
All merchandise is offered at outstanding discount prices.
All sales can be exchanged or refunded.
Gift wrapping is free.
"SUNSET STBIP" 29636 Northwestern Highway, Southfeld, M 48034
Hours. M - F 10 - 5:15, Sat 10 - 5
PHONE: 357-4000
1111111
58
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1991
Continued from preceding page
are free to do what they desire
— to emigrate, pursue Jewish
activities, or to attempt suc-
cess in Soviet life.
A small number of
refuseniks remain. They are
isolated hostages of a
bureaucratic system that
allows thousands to leave dai-
ly, but remains obsessed with
these few individuals. Some
are not allowed to emigrate
because of their security
work. In the past, this excuse
was applied capriciously and
absurdly to prevent Jews from
leaving. Now those who are
refused are exceptions to the
system.
A newly enacted immigra-
tion law requires every Soviet
citizen who leaves the coun-
try to have a passport.
Despite assurances (general-
ly accepted by Jewish leaders)
that this document can be ob-
tained within a few days, the
number of Jews leaving has
plummeted (from 1,800 to 350
daily).
Of greater deterrence are
the scarcity of housing and
jobs in Israel. Soviet Jews
who do not immediately need
to leave are listening to the
advice of their friends and
relatives and are waiting. Re-
cent events will most likely
change this perspective.
Small innovations exist:
Western corporations now
advertise consumer goods
(candy bars, computers,
VCR's). Moscow is slightly
cleaner and brighter. Arbat
Street, supposedly an in-
stance of artsy perestroika,
has for years been a pale
reflection of an American flea
market. With the beginnings
of a free market, it is now
packed with merchants, ar-
tists, singers and potential
buyers — a hint of what the
entire country might be able
to accomplish.
The very few who have
learned to use the system
have become surprisingly suc-
cessful. Sergei and Vladimir,
young Jewish entrepreneurs,
have amassed millions of
rubles through internal and
international business ven-
tures. Since the currency is
non-convertible and very lit-
tle exists to buy with it, their
profit is of limited value.
A casino now exists in
Moscow. The Casino Royale in
the midst of the Soviet
socialist state has been
established in an ornate pre-
revolutionary structure
because the Soviets are
desperate for hard currency.
Small by Western standards,
it attempts to create an at-
mosphere of lush luxury. The
employees, who seem uncom-
fortable in their bourgeois
roles, are dressed in lavish
evening clothes.
The entire establishment
transmits an air of distaste as
if to say, "You Westerners are
forcing us to do this." At one
blackjack table, the sound of
a familiar language was
heard — Hebrew. A group of
Israelis was enthusiastically
enjoying one of the few attrac-
tions of Moscow's night life.
Relative to what must be
done, these changes are
miniscule. The Soviet Union
remains an incredibly primi-
tive society. Lvov, a city of
nearly 500,000, has running
water for three hours in the
morning and three hours in
the evening.
Travel is a horror. Aeroflot,
the state airline, alternates
between farce (pets parade
down aisles) and fright
(cabins fill with smoke while
in the air).
Highways are obstacle
courses, where driving is a
Jewish study,
meaningful
services and an
activist Swiss
rabbi irrigate the
desert that is
Moscow's Jewish
community.
constant game of chicken.
Rules or courtesies of the road
do not exist. Heavy rains
flood the roads so that even in
cities, vehicles become engulf-
ed in torrents that leave cars
stranded. Soviet cars only
months old break down —
parts literally fall off.
Aside from the area im-
mediately surrounding large
cities, farmers and villagers
have no running water. Their
way of life has remained vir-
tually unchanged for cen-
turies. Massive reorganiza-
tion must occur in this nation
of 11 time zones before any
lasting transformation
touches the heart of Soviet
society. This is acutely under-
stood in the Ukraine, the site
of the Chernobyl nuclear ac-
cident. The manner in which
the disaster was handled, the
attempt to conceal its far-
reaching consequences and
the human tragedies that
werecaused, constitute a tur-
ning point for even stalwart
defenders of the system. They
recognize that theirs is a
malevolent, uncaring regime.
"Once we lived, now we on-
ly survive," said one relative-
ly comfortable Russian
woman, describing the
economic pressures created by
perestroika's price increases
and the scarcity of basic com-
modities. Prices are beginn-
ing to reflect the real value of
the currency and the objective
earning power of the society.