A grand New Wored
not a profitable line of work."
In December, the Vekslers moved from
their first U.S. residence, an apartment at
11 Mile and Greenfield, to a three-bedroom
house in Bloomfield Hills.
"Economically, there was no reason not
to buy a house," Mr. Veksler said. "fro pay
rent when you can buy is ridiculous."
I
t took the Vekslers five years from the
time they made their application to
leave the former Soviet Union until
they were able to emigrate.
Industry, Mr. Veksler said, is dying
there. "We only had enough money to buy
food."
Even with some money, the Vekslers,
like other Russians, tell stories of stand-
ing in line for four hours to buy bread.
Mrs. Veksler remembers going right
Above left:
Olga Veksler helps Stella lsayev, from the former
Soviet Union, with an assignment.
Above:
Three generations now living in America: Mrs.
Veksler reads a children's book with her mother
and daughter.
from her classes at the university to the
bread line. On those days, she didn't re-
turn home until 10 p.m.
After graduating from college, Mrs. Vek-
sler taught physics and astronomy and lat-
er worked as an interpreter for a British
company.
In Russia, the Vekslers shared a two-
room apartment in St. Petersburg with
other family members. They felt lucky to
have a place to live with two rooms.
"Then we moved to a better [apart-
ment]," Mr. Veksler said. It had three
rooms.
Ofialigitig Her Wooled
t
A
nna Fraymovich immigrated to
the United States with her hus-
band, her son and a dream of
ontinuing her career as a pedi-
Cr)
w
U)
Lu
CC
F-
Lu
LL,
58
atrician.
After working as a physician for 15 years
in the former Soviet Union, she had to en-
dure a year of an unpaid externship and a
three-year residency program in the United
States.
Dr. Fraymovich, who emigrated from
St. Petersburg 81/2 years ago, attended
what she described as a respected medical
school in the former Soviet Union. Short-
ly after her U.S. arrival, she passed an
exam for foreign doctors, equivalent to the
board exam American-educated physicians
take. But, at one point, her luck tem-
porarily ran out.
"I couldn't pass the English proficien-
cy test at first, even though I passed the
medical test," she said. "And at that time,
people didn't trust doctors from Russia be-
cause there were not that many Russian
doctors coming to this country."
During her first interview at a hospi-
tal she did not want to single out by name,
she was told, "It's nothing against you, but
I just don't know what to expect from a
Russian doctor."
It was about that time that she met Dr.
Conrad Giles, her son's ophthalmologist.
He was more than willing to help her find
a program.
"Here I was at the Sinai clinic, seeing
pediatric cases and in walks a woman [the
Jewish community] helped resettle," Dr.
Giles said. "I had an opportunity through
my professional contacts,
not my Jewish contacts,
to help further resettle
someone in our commu-
nity. It certainly was besh-
ert. The rest she made
happen through her dili-
gence and initiative."
Dr. Giles put Dr. Fray-
movich in touch with
Children's Hospital. Al-
though the residency pro-
gram was full, the hos-
pital gave her a one-year
externship without pay.
"Mentally, I didn't do
well because I didn't know
the technology, and it was
"Our future [in Russia] was very un-
certain in many aspects. We had no per-
sonal security. For us, it was a greater
threat because we are Jewish, and there
is a tradition of blaming Jews."
As for their future now, said Mr. Vek-
sler, "we don't plan that much because it's
not very effective. Of course, we do have
some plans. Olga wants to get her teach-
ing certificate, and I may get my master's
degree." ❑
Below left:
Anna Fraymovich became an "American" doctor.
Left:
Dr. Fraymovich and her son, Mike, in 1988. Today,
he is one year away from his high-school
graduation.
a cultural shock," she said.
Dr. Fraymovich didn't
have a car then and had to
take a bus downtown from
her Northgate apartment in
Oak Park. At the same time,
her family did not have an
income and lived with the
help of assistance programs.
Slowly, things turned
around. Dr. Fraymovich felt comfortable
after her externship and found herself in
a position to choose between residency pro-
grams. She picked Beaumont.
She found two mentors, Drs. Ruben
Kurnetz and Jeffrey Maisels, who en-
couraged her along the way. And, most im-
portant to Dr. Fraymovich, they trusted
her.
Dr. Fraymovich and her husband, also
a physician, divorced three years ago. She
and her son, Mike, moved to a house in
Royal Oak. He graduates from Royal Oak
Kimball next year.
Today, Dr. Fraymovich is affiliated with
a handful of area hospitals and has a pri-
vate pediatrics practice in Warren and
Clinton Township.
"Sometimes life forces you into things,"
she said, referring specifically to the resi-
dency program she had to endure after 15
years of practice. "It was a good opportu-
nity for a refresher. Overall, I've been very
lucky." ❑