"In our society, you're allowed to pick and choose."
Lisa Kartaginer

Board in AMAGRAM noted that "preach-
ing religious doctrines, political causes, or
other issues of such an intensely person-
al nature" is a "turnoff' for those who
might otherwise participate in a business
opportunity.
Despite the images of glamour and
promises of untold wealth that are a sta-
ple of the Amway culture, none in this
handful of Jewish distributors is in fi-
nancial distress — far from it. They say
making money is not their primary mo-
tive for getting involved in the organiza-
tion. They say Amway is about the future,
that the business ensures a lifetime of
residual income for them and their chil-
dren. They say Amway enables them to
spend more time with their families.
Karen Kahn's skepticism about Amway
•

gave way to an unshakable faith in the
promises the Kahns' sponsor made when
he presented the plan.
"He said, 'Do you like the amount of
time you spend with your family now? and
the answer was no. We looked around and
realized there were plen,ty of physicians
still wearing beepers at 60 and 65, and we
weren't sure that was going to make more
time with the family," she said.
"I liked the idea of being at my son Dy-
lan's school at 2:30 p.m.," added Dr. Han-
delsman, explaining why he became an
Amway distributor. "There's a way to
earn money where you can leverage your
time."
Yet, Dr. Handelsman and the Kahns,
like the other Jewish distributors, devote
several hours a week hosting and attend-

ing Amway meetings and listening and
watching motivational tapes to hone their
sales skills. They also travel out of state a
few times each year to attend the massive
seminars Amway holds to keep the troops
inspired. They're investing their time now
in hopes of retiring early.
Ms. Kartaginer's home office is stocked
with a computer, copier and fax machine
that she purchased from Amway, and she
boasted that she bought her daughter a
car for just $100 over factory cost, thanks
to a deal she got through Amway.
Her obligations as a Jew do not conflict
with her Amway business, she said. Be-
fore she attends a national function, she
contacts her direct upline, or sponsor, to
find out which hotels are within walking
distance of the function site and makes

sure her room is on the ground floor so she
doesn't have to use the elevator. Ms.
Kartaginer also brings her own kosher
food for the weekend.
"You have to work around the yontifs
(holidays)," she said.
She also has to work around frequent
references to Jesus.
The weekly motivational tapes distrib-
utors are encouraged to buy feature a "big
pin" who "might talk J.C.," she said, `but
I fast-forward the tape." Some of her Or-
thodox customers have "screamed" about
a reference to Jesus they heard on a tape,
but the tapes, she reminds them, are "100-
percent refundable," just as every Amway
product is.
"Are you going to stop going to Farmer
Jack because they've got Easter stuff? In