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.