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.. TRAVEL MAX
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Invites You To Sample The
"Sea Goddess Experience" ir * * Odessa's
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April 5 - April 12, 1997
BETSY AND GEORGE HESS SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
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4-Day Cruise from St. Thomas and 3 days at
the new luxury Ritz-Carlton-St. Thomas Hotel
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ALL INCLUSIVE AIR, CRUISE,
HOTEL & TRANSFERS
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$ 2,300 per person'
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• 3-day land
package at the
Ritz-Carlton
St. Barts
• St. Maarten
• Virgin Gorda
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'114limb
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Renaissance
our plane made its final
approach to the Odessa
airport on the late Sep-
tember day, we tightened
our seat belts in anticipation of
a bumpy landing and arrival. We
had begun our 10 days in the for-
mer Soviet Union.
We had- come to follow up on
our visit 4 1/2 years ago, when
we witnessed the beginnings of
Jewish life in a newly "open so-
ciety." Since then, we had read
news stories about the growing
freedom to practice Judaism, but
these dispatches were matched
by others describing the harsh
economic conditions, violent
crime and unpleasant realities
of life after Perestroika.
A
.
until she received a wheelchair
recently from the Gmilus Hesed
Medical Equipment Center. Her
eyes sparkled as she described
how she could now go to the park,
sit on her balcony and perform
household chores. Now she keeps
busy as a "hotline volunteer,"
studies Hebrew and paints vi-
brant abstract works of art.
Our schedule included lunch
with a group of Jewish orphans
who were rescued by an Israeli
rabbi in Odessa, and the day cul-
minated in a meeting with the
intellectual club at the Jewish Li-
brary.
The next day we traveled to
Yaroslavl, a 1,000-year-old city
100 miles from Moscow. Here,
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Times have changed since this 1994 demonstration in the Ukraine.
Odessa has been the recipient the synagogue building that
of Baltimore's largess for the last serves as a Jewish community
few years. The Baltimore Jew- center was bombed in April, but
ish Council's mission in June at- local authorities quickly found
tended the dedication of the the culprits, who now await tri-
Harry and Jeanette Weinberg al. The Jewish community was
building, Gmilus Hesed (acts of pleased with the handling of this
lovingkindness), as a center to violent act and noted the won-
serve the elderly of this Ukrain- derful help from the police, the
ian Jewish community. The mayor and regional leadership.
As we traveled to Moscow and
Joseph Meyerhoff Fund has pro-
vided books for two libraries of St. Petersburg we visited day-
Judaic literature. Consultants care centers, synagogues, senior
have visited to provide expertise centers and schools. In 1992 none
in medical, social service and ed- of these institutions existed:
ucational programs. Parcels of There was no Jewish learning to
toys, food and clothing also have speak of, there was no pride',
about being Jewish. It has been
been sent.
We arrived on Sukkot and cel- exciting to see the renaissance of
ebrated the holiday at the JCC Judaism here, a rebirth sup-
with a room full of families. On ported by the American Jewish
the next day we visited Rida: Joint Distribution Committee.
She's 50 years old, housebound The "Joint" gets its support from
with severe rheumatoid arthri- our federation gifts, and we
tis. Rida had been unable to should be proud of its wonderful
leave her apartment for 20 years, work.
We were constantly impressed
by the Joint staff and the myri`--
Betsy Hess is chairwoman of the
ad projects they initiate and
Baltimore Jewish Council's
maintain. They are indeed a life-
Odessa Committee.
line, providing the link to Jewish
George Hess is vice president of
,
th P efoRenh _Meverhoff Fund.
life oast. present andfutureia,