N um b
To
e
As Russian resettlement
continues, so do
challenges facing Detroit's
Jewish community.
Need?
RUTH UTTMANN STAFF WRITER
faded doormat in North-
gate Apartments depicts
a log cabin surrounded
by flowers and shrub-
bery. Smoke swirls
up from a brick
chimney to the
words:
Home
Sweet Home.
But
for
Russian
refugees living
at Northgate
and else-
where in Detroit — is it?
The Jewish community's
Resettlement Service reports
that 620 Russian Jews immi-
grated to Detroit last year.
Though few regret leaving
their homeland, many new
Americans say the United
States poses unanticipated
challenges: finding jobs dur-
ing economic hard times,
treating medical problems
that went undiagnosed in the
former Soviet Union and
making a niche for them-
selves in the Jewish commu-
nity.
In a scantily furnished
Northgate apartment,
Yevgeniy and Maya Pavlov
sit with their 25-year-old son,
Pavel. The Pavlovs moved
here from Ukraine seven
months ago. In broken
English, Pavel translates for
his parents.
Mr. Pavlov has severe
heart problems, but the fami-
ly wasn't willing to entrust
his care to Ukrainian doc-
vahs and wrote letters," said
tors. In Detroit, the elder Mr.
Leslee Magidson, the
Pavlov underwent triple
Russian acculturation pro-
bypass surgery at Sinai
gram coordinator at the
Hospital. Now, doctors forbid
Jewish Community Center in
him to work. In fact, none of
Oak Park. "I hate to say it,
the Pavlovs has found steady
but after two or three years,
employment here. They have
we've almost become passe."
been living off a federal
Others say the issue is not
refugee assistance program.
apathy. They say straight
Still, they say they do not
out that it's unfair that new
regret immigrating.
immigrants receive so much
"I like the life here," Pavel
support and have access to
said.
programs that Jews born in
Mr. Pavlov is recuperating,
this country cannot afford.
albeit slowly, and Pavel is
Rosalind Smith, an admin-
determined to find a full-time
istrative secretary, is angry.
job.
She assumed guardianship
As the Pavlovs
struggle to find
their place in a
new society,
American Jews in
Detroit
are
preparing
for
another wave of
immigrants. More
than 300 Jews
from the former
Soviet Union are
expected to arrive
before 1994.
But community
leaders fear that
interest in the
emigres has dwin-
dled.
"For years, we
were so anxious
to see our Russian
families come
here. We twinned
bar and bat mitz- Four generations of Russian Jews continue life in America.
for her 5-year-old grandson
after his mother abandoned
him earlier this year. In
June, Mrs. Smith went to
Jewish Family Service seek-
ing money for her grandson's
day camp. She said she was
referred to the Jewish
Community Center, but was
not able to obtain a scholar-
ship for extended day-care
hours.
"I earn a decent living, but
I can't afford to raise another
child," she said. "I think the
Jewish community needs to
reassess the needs of the
Jewish {American} commu-