REFUGEES page 1
EVERYDAY LOW 319.97
Without Tank With Tank
::::::....,;,,
.,,,,„.
r.a,
. . --i • fr-zoisi • „..... ,,
, .. .::::..., ? gd, 1- iimii
, lAal Znk'- -
SAMSONITE
5 PC. SETS FROM
(r Tat 'Lilt"
s
GAS BBQ AT HOME INSPECTION & SERVICE
11*
-vir.,440-LTUNEUP
Call 348-5640 ask for barbecue service dept.
5/13/93
NOVI
SOUTHFIELD
STERLING HTS.
Novi Rd. at 10 Mile
Southfield at 12 Mile
VanDyke at 16 Mile
348-9300
557-3344
268-8222
QR
(Federal Fireplace0
EXCLUDED
SKIN&VEIN
\CENT ER
=•.+NAP'ega,:,,,,,,,,,,,,, gmamegNacmiA.77,:tNILIIVIIIMIN11111161~111111111101. ,wegs
--
WOOD DECK
WASHING
S! SEALING
DISEASES AND SURGERY OF THE SKIN
Call Now For An Estimate
Dermatology
STEVE'S POWER WASH
349-5163
Most
Insurances
Accepted
[VISA
PHONE ORDERS WELCOME
Master Card
,
• Collagen • Skin Surgery • Acne • Warts
• Skin Cancer • Nail and Hair Disorders
• Retin A Therapy • Psoriasis/Puva
• Skin Surgery • Herpes • Moles
• New Non-Surgical Treatment for Varicose
Veins & Spider Veins • Liposuction
• Hair Transplant Surgery • Dennabrasion
• Chemical Peels
TROY FENTON WESTLAND MACOMB BLOOMFIELD
689-1400 . 629-9200 729-0400 • 778-2410 • 338-6400
CAA$H
FOR LIKE-NEW
WOMEN'S & CHILDREN'S
DESIGNER
fashions
& accessories
CONSIGNMENT
CLOTHIERS
Call today for a FREE
housecall appt. or
in-store appt.
347-4570
43041 W. 7 Mile • Northville.)
•••••••••••••••••••• ■ ••• ■■ •••••••,,,siew. •,....,••• ■ ••011111111111191•1111111.6•••••••
one a Jew, regardless of
whether this had anything to
do with Halachah (Jewish
law).
Under Soviet law, identifi-
cation cards always indicated
ethnic identity. If both parents
were of the same heritage, this
automatically was marked on
the child's passport: the son of
two Jews had no choice but to
identify as Jewish, just as the
daughter of two Russian par-
ents had "Russian" stamped
on her ID card, whether this
was her choice or not.
If, however, a child had par-
ents of two different ethnic
backgrounds, he sometimes
had the option to choose.
Despite the persecution and
the harassment, a large num-
ber of children with only a
Jewish father, or only a
Jewish mother, choose to iden-
tify as Jewish.
Observers believe this iden-
tification process may come to
an end as the former Soviet
republics introduce new laws,
but for now it is still in effect.
The situation becomes fur-
ther complicated with mar-
riage. Because of a
longstanding housing short-
age in the former Soviet Union
that continues to this day, it's
not unusual to see apartments
crammed with a married cou-
ple, their brothers and sisters
and their families, the couple's
parents, and the couple's chil-
dren.
Because they all lived to-
gether, this entire collection
becomes "the family unit,"
both for U.S. government and
Jewish social service purpos-
es. It happens on a number of
occasions that only one mem-
ber of this "family unit" is ac-
tually Jewish.
To be approved for refugee
status in the United States,
individuals must prove to
Immigration and
Naturalization Service that
they face persecution in the
country where they are living.
Those seeking admittance
to the United States also must
have a close family relative —
parent or child, husband or
wife, brother or sister — al-
ready living legally and per-
manently in the country.
In fiscal year 1993, the
United States admitted
50,000 refugees; 40,000 of
them were identified as
Jewish.
Once granted refugee sta-
tus, Jewish immigrants and
their families are referred to
HIAS, a New York-based or-
ganization established in 1880
to assist in the rescue and pro-
tection of Jewish refugees
throughout the world.
HIAS does not ask Russian
refugees questions about reli-
gious identification, so officials
cannot give estimates as to the
number of Jews and gentiles
they assist each year.
Figures also are not kept on
the number of extended lam-
ily units." Right now, most
refugee families consist of a
husband and wife and their
children, HIAS's Dail Stolow
says. "But there is a large
number coming in with el-
derly parents."
BIAS channels refugees to
communities where family
members already live. There,
local social service agencies —
generally funded by BIAS and
the Jewish federations — take
over resettlement.
All refugees handled by the
agency, including those gen-
tiles who have no interest in
Of nearly 500
emigres, at least
146 are not Jewish.
Judaism, are obligated to take
courses introducing them to
the Jewish community.
The hope, Resettlement
Service director Sandra
Hyman says, is that the gen-
tiles will consider conversion
to Judaism, or at least join a
congregation, sending their
children to Jewish day school,
or otherwise becoming in-
volved with the Jewish com-
munity.
How successful this has
been is anyone's guess. "It
would be very interesting for
us to study what's happened
to the local immigrant popu-
lation," Ms. Hyman says.
"Unfortunately, we just don't
have the staff to do it. What
we would love is a volunteer
willing to work on such a pro-
ject."
Still another group — con-
sisting of rabbis, synagogues
and outreach workers — also
concentrates on bringing
refugees to the Jewish com-
munity. One of the largest of
these groups is FREE, Friends
of Refugees of Eastern
Europe, a Lubavitch organi-
zation in Oak Park headed by
Rabbi Yosef Mishulovin, him-
self an immigrant from
Moscow.
FREE's policy is to include
gentiles where Jewish law will