"I must be crazy," says Ms.
Pashkevich. Trained in the
former Soviet Union as a
broadcast journalist, she
sometimes works 15 hours a
week to prepare for a show.
"People don't seem to under-
stand, but I do truly believe
that Russians need this
show."
RTVD, which airs on Con-
tinental's community access
channels in eight different
cities, dedicates 60 minutes
to educational segments, in-
terviews and coverage of
events in the Jewish and
Russian communities.
"There's so much to discuss
and show. It's tough to decide
what to include," Mr. Valk
said.
Producers say the show
takes on a format like "20-20"
and "60 Minutes." One of the
main objectives, they say, is
to devote at least a quarter of
the show to explaining up-
coming Jewish holidays.
Many Russians who grew up
under Communism are igno-
rant of their Jewish heritage.
During the first show,

Volunteers with RTVD spend up to 15 hours a week on a show.

which aired a year ago, RTVD
featured English language
classes, as well as interviews
with Jewish communal lead-
ers. The goal was — and still
is — acculturation.
Some segments have fea-
tured doctors, explaining how
to obtain vaccinations; others
have been lectures about en-
rolling in driver education
classes or getting a license.
Emigres involved in RTVD
argue that, in some ways, the
medium is more effective
than Jewish agencies with
the same objectives.
"They're generally only
talking to one family at a
time," Ms. Pashkevich says.
"We can talk to up to 50,000
people during one show."
That's the potential, but
emigres' hopes were dashed
somewhat when they discov-
ered that Northgate Apart-
ments and some surrounding
residences, where so many
new Americans live, do not
have access to Continental
Cablevision. Other Russians
who have cable TV videotape
the shows. Now, bootlegged

Community Access

Emigres use talent and drive
to produce cable shows for Russian Jews.

RUTH LITTMAN STAFF WRITER

t the West Bloom-
field office of Con-
t i n e n t al
Cablevision, there
is an eerie hum
in the editing
room. Television
monitors radi-
ate an azure
low reflecting
off a dark,
glass-enclosed studio.
"This is where we create,"
says Sam Valk, the bearded
producer. "It is for the heart,"
says Yuna Pashevich, his
partner. By day, Mr. Valk is
an electrical contractor. Ms.
Pashkevich is a full-time den-
tal assistant.
But after hours, they and
a host of other emigres vol-
unteer their time for the
Russian Television Studio of
Metropolitan Detroit (RTVD).
The idea for a Russian

show arose nearly 18 months
ago from a group of emigres
and Jewish Experiences For
Families (JEFF), an agency
that has sponsored many pro-
grams for new Americans.
In September of 1992, 20
emigres and Americans gath-
ered at the West Bloomfield
Continental Cable studio for
a crash course in broadcast-
ing. Participants learned how
to use video and editing
equipment. They nailed down
procedures for using a "video
toaster," which inserts sub-
text in the Cyrillic alphabet.
Then they embarked upon
their own project, a public ac-
cess cable show with a three-
pronged purpose: to help
emigres acculturate, to help
them identify with the met-
ropolitan Jewish community
and to help them maintain
ties with their Russian roots.

MD is

taped from Continental Cablevision's West Bloomfield studio.