WHERE YOU ALWAYS FIND THE PERFECT GIFT

MON.-WED.

10 6 • THURS. 10 8 • FRIDAY 10 5 • CLOSED SAT. & SUN.

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HARVARD ROW MALL

21750 West 11 Mile Road • Southfield, MI

(248) 358-5540

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A museum display of reminders of shtetl

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• We watch out for your loved ones every day

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Services include:

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• Supportive counseling

• Socialization

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....

the

10/3
1997

120

ELEBRATION CON•ECTI .

DIRECTORY

in our Classified Section

DEALER
CUSTOM
MADE
INDOOR
WEATHER

of a campaign to create the "new
Soviet man" and systematically
destroy all traces of Jewish culture,
even young people — many the
product of mixed marriages — still
regard themselves as Jews. By word of
mouth (or by contacting the Israeli
embassy), they hear about JAFI's pro-
grams and join them to learn what it
means to be Jewish.
Some of the elderly Jews of Belarus
were visited in Bobruisk, an industri-
al city about a two hour's drive from
Minsk. The town has 2,800 Jewish
residents, about a third of whom are
elderly.
Here, as in the country's other
major cities, the JDC program
includes distributing food packages,
running a soup kitchen, "meals on
wheels" for the infirm, loaning med-
ical equipment and dispatching
"household helpers" to cook and
clean a few times a week.
Those served are people like 94-
year-old Moshe Osherov and his 93-
year-old wife, Malka, who both suffer
from ill health. Their two children in
Minsk come twice a week to clean
and cook for them. Stooped and
almost blind, Malka must be walked
to the outhouse or resort to a cham-
ber pot.
Moshe, a veteran of both world
wars, carries out his Red Army uni-
form, covered with medals, and reads
out his certificate of valor. "I reached
Berlin with the Soviet Army and did-
n't stop shooting 'til I was ordered
to," he announces proudly. Together,
the Osherovs receive $70 a month in
pensions. Medicine, more than food,
is their greatest concern.
In a municipal kindergarten in
Minsk run by a special JDC-spon-
sored "Jewish-enrichment" program

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for 3- to 6-year-olds, smartly dressed
students greeted their guests. The 4-
to 5-year-olds sang in Hebrew and al
Yiddish (including "Oseh Shalom
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Bimromav") and danced to the tune
of "My Flag is Blue and White." One
would never suspect that none of
their teachers are Jews, but have all
undergone a "Jewish-enrichment"
course.
The most impressive of the JAFI
youth clubs in Belarus is the
Hatikvah Choir. Hearing the 10- to 4.0
16-year-olds sing in Hebrew, Yiddish
and English (everything from "Adon
Olam" to spirituals and "Lollipop,
Lollipop") reduced many members of
the audience, including the most
jaded Israelis, to tears.
That aside, the height of the visit
to Belarus was the trip to a JAFI
summer camp for 13- to 15-year-
olds. It is one of 78 such camps oper*
ating throughout the FSU for only
12,000 campers (despite far greater
demand).
Greeting the guests were children
dancing with Israeli flags in hand.
The youth then took the group by
the hand for a tour through the site.
. One had the feeling that in their
gray, subdued country, this meeting
was the first time the youth had an 110
opportunity to be loud, spirited, fun-
loving kids. During a hot lunch, the
bubbling campers suddenly turn into
practically silent children. Eating
such delicacies as meat and fresh
fruits and vegetables is serious busi-
ness.
But perhaps the most vivid
impression of the visit's impact came
after the 500 JAFI delegates arrived AO
in Israel. At the summer camp, each
child hadgiven a delegate a personal
message to be placed in the Western

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