DETROIT JEWIS H NEWS

Numb to the Need?

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tive.
So the program evolved
into Jewish Connections,
which matches emigres with
congregations., Russians and
Americans come together for
intercultural seders, lectures,
Shabbat dinners and other
congregational affairs.
Many connections estab-
lished through the initial
Family to Family program
were fortuitous. Take the
Krymgolds, Zagers and
Moehlmans.
Barbara and Herman
Moehlman, as well as their
30-year-old son, Phillip, of
Farmington Hills, "adopted"
the Krymgolds through
Family to Family. Later,
they became close friends
with the Zagers from Gomel,
a city in the Ukraine.
The Russian families have
celebrated Jewish holidays
with the Moehlmans. They've
attended concerts and gone
on walks. The Moehlmans
have helped the Zagers and
Krymgolds find jobs, in part
by accompanying them on
interviews.
The first time Irina Zager
— who lives with her hus-
band and two daughters in
West Bloomfield — accompa-
nied the Moehlmans to ser-
vices at Temple Beth El, she
felt bewildered, but euphoric.
"I didn't even know what a
service was," she said. "I
wasn't much interested at
first. But the
atmosphere...Jews, coming
together, openly and without
fear...
"We were not happy in
Russia," she said. "There was
no tomorrow for the children.
We wanted to sing Jewish
songs, dance Jewish dances
and understand our Jewish
background."
Last December, Mrs.
Zagar and her husband,
Dmitry, who works as a labo-
ratory technician at BASF,
were remarried in a Jewish
wedding at Beth El. The
Krymgolds retook their vows
during the same ceremony.
The Moehlmans were by
their side, holding the chup-

pah.

"There wasn't a dry eye in
the temple," Mrs. Moehlman
said. "They were finally mar-
ried by a rabbi and they were
just overwhelmed."
Ellie Slovis and Sue
Stettner of Jewish
Experiences For Families,
which runs the Jewish
Connections program, said
more new Americans gradu-
ally are getting involved in
the Jewish community.
"It was slow getting off the

ground," Mrs. Stettner said.
"I believe everyone's looking
for 100 percent success with
our Russian population, but
we cannot even expect that of
our American community."
Mrs. Moehlman, who con-
tinues to enjoy time with the
Krymgolds and Zagers,
stressed the ongoing need for
American families to reach
out to emigres through pro-
grams like Jewish
Connections:
"They can't live the
American way by living in a
ghetto. They need the short-
term, one-on-one help from
American families — not
with material things so much
as with friendship and accep-
tance," Mrs. Moehlman said.
"We have to help them to
help themselves. There's
nothing more satisfying than
seeing them land on their
feet, then start helping their
own.

"We have to help
them help
themselves."

Barbara Moehlman

"It's like watching flowers
bloom, petal by petal, reach-
ing their full potential."

❑

Dmitry and Irina
Zager (right)
retook their vows
at a Temple Beth
El wedding.

Generation to
generation:
(below, from left)
Arkady
Ongeyberg,
Sophia
Ongeyberg, Mera
Polyakhovskaya,
Irina Zager,
Dmitry Zager,
Valerie Zager and
Inna Zager.