A Jewish
staffer
Family Service std
becomes an American
with a little help
from her employer.
LONNY GOLDSMITH
Staff Writer
Nitzana York
displays her
citizenship •
certificate.
fter living in the United
States for 10 years, there
was only one thing that
kept Nitzana York from
getting her United States citizenship:
pride.
"I am a proud Israeli, and I didn't
want to give that up," said York, the
volunteer program manager at Jewish
Family Service.
On July 4, with
1,300 others at Chene
Park in Detroit, York
uttered the oath that
confirmed her as an
American.
"I had never
really thought
about it," York
admitted,
"until I saw
'.:UONOkeNtatNt a ggtialatkr
the recent
reforms in
laws, and saw
senior citizens
and other newcomers
losing their benefits.
"I made the decision
that it was better to be a
citizen where I was living,
and not be at risk."
York was born and raised in Haifa,
but moved to Michigan with her
husband Doron. Their 10-year-old
daughter Orian and son Adam, 6,
are both Americans because they
were born here.
"Orian is really happy for me and
it's very special for her," York said.
"She helped to prepare me for what
I needed to know on the exam."
York did not take part in the exten-
sive citizenship course offered at JFS,
although her employer did offer her
assistance.
"I used a lot of materials there to
help prepare for the test," she said.
"The class is more for people who
need help with their English."
York also filled out the applications
and got fingerprinted and pho-
tographed at JFS.
For York, the most unpleasant part
was the interview process, where she
was seen for her 7:20 a.m. interview
at 8:30, and didn't end up leaving
until after 10, when she got her
approval and date that she would take
the oath.
"Knowing the language and the
culture helps," she said. "It wasn't dif-
ficult, just unpleasant."
Getting to the interview was hard
enough. It took nearly a year for York
to receive the date for the interview
after passing her written exam.
At Saturday's celebration, York was
cheered on by her sister and her sis-
ter's children, in town from Israel, as
well as her own children and hus-
band, her brother-in-law and a friend.
"It was a positive experience, but it
was disorganized," she said. "We were
all told to be there at 8 a.m., and then
I waited in line until 10."
The 40-minute ceremony didn't
start until 10:20, but it marked the
end of York's anxiety.
York has helped people get their
citizenship by setting up a corps of
volunteers with JFS citizenship class
participants. "It's exciting that I've got
mine," she.said. "I'm now a proud
American."
❑
7/10
1998
47