Grasid
Now ['Voted
Soviet emigres are edgilig
hi t° M o ist a k ist r ea sst.
JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER
THE DETRO
1\1
50
ost of us will never know what
it's like to decide which of our
possessions, accumulated over
a lifetime, should be packed
into a limited number of suitcases. Many of
us cannot imagine saying a permanent good-
bye to family, friends and neighbors and moNi-
ing across the ocean to an unknown country.
Yet every year, thousands of Jews from the
former Soviet Union know — or at least hope
— that day of departure will eventually come.
Often, they wait years for permission to
leave their homeland. When that day arrives,
PHOTOS BY GLENN TRIEST
they bid their final farewells to people and
material possessions and move to a country
that promises opportunity with no guaran-
tees.
Over the last several years, three families
— the Vekslers, the Sirotas and the Sakins
— all went through this process. The follow-
ing pages highlight some of the trials and
tribulations they've experienced, and con-
tinue to face, in coming to America.
The following pages also take a look at new
Americans whose stories have previously
been told in The Jewish News.