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World Jewry comes to the rescue
of children living in a dangerous land.
RUTH UTTPAANN STAFF WRITER
Jewish young people at
Kfar Chabad are reunited
with their parents who
make allyah..
R
Above: Dr. Zeev
Weschler, head
of the Chabad
Children Of Cher-
nobyl medical
team, examines a
14-year-old boy
from the disaster
area.
Right: Radiation
from the Cher-
nobyl meltdown
caused eye prob-
lems for many
youth.
ussian children were planting trees for Tu
B'Shevat when Joanne Zuroff of Farming-
ton Hills visited the Israeli village of Kfar
Chabad two years ago.
Ms. Zuroff saw the children enjoying what
had become lethal in their homeland: fresh
air and blue skies.
These were the children of Chernobyl —
youth victimized by the 1986 nuclear accident
in the former Soviet Union. Three years ago,
an international organization formed to evac-
uate children between the ages of 5 and 16 from
areas affected by dangerous radiation. It is the
only group of its kind.
The Children Of Chernobyl has brought 950
Jewish youth to the village of Kfar Chabad,
where they receive medical care, hospitaliza-
tion if needed, lodging and education. Common
tenures at the village run from nine to 18
months.
"We generally take the children who are in
the worst condition," said director of develop-
ment Baruch Nadel, who works out of offices
in New York and Israel. "Most of our expens-
es are for medical care, psycho-
logical care and special diets."
It costs $17,500 to evacuate,
clothe and educate a typical
child. But in some cases, when
cancer caused by the nuclear dis-
aster is acute, medical bills have
skyrocketed to $100,000.
In Detroit two years ago, a
chapter of Children of Chernobyl
started when a Bais Chabad rab-
bi, Chaim Bergstein, joined
forces with West Bloomfield res-
ident Rae Scharfman. Their
group attracted a handful of oth-
ers who have since sponsored
parlor meetings to raise money
for airlifts.
"In the past, Hillel Day School
students also have collected mon-
ey through bake sales, popcorn
sales and used-book sales," said
Judy Granader, a member of the local chapter.
"This was all done so the children could help
the children at Kfar Chabad."
Joanne Zuroff is a cancer survivor. Em-
pathizing with the Chernobyl children, she got
involved with the group.
"As long as there are children who need to
get out, we'll continue our work," Ms. Zuroff
said.
Abi Raichik, U.S. director of Children of
Chernobyl, reports that thousands of young
people are still awaiting rescue. In his latest
newsletter about the group, Mr. Raichik writes
that government regulations in the region
threaten to delay evacuations:
"Somewhere in Belarus, the 1,000th child
awaits the next Chernobyl flight (to Israel)."
Eight years ago, the former Soviet nuclear
power station unleashed up to 90 tons of ra-
dioactive material over parts of the Ukraine
and Belarus. The government at first did not
tell citizens of the catastrophe, which contam-
inated forests, rivers, food supplies — every-
thing.
Only after three weeks did the Soviet gov-
ernment warn people to stay in their homes.
They cautioned against outdoor recreation.
Don't hike. Don't swim. Don't go blueberry pick-
ing.
The bureaucratic advisories had one excep-
tion. With bitterness, a Detroit emigre recalls
that the government encouraged children to
march in a political parade shortly after the ex-
plosion.
Parade or no parade, children were affected
by the meltdown. Adults were affected, too.
Many developed tumors, rashes, eye disease
and persistent bronchitis.
The developing organs of youth are most
prone to radiation. A 1992 Chicago Tribune ar-
ticle cites a Russian doctor who noted thyroid
cancers among children had increased seven
times throughout the republic.
So far, there have been 10 evacuation flights.
The waiting list for future flights continues
CHILDREN page 47