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He is spending this year at Hebrew University of Jerusalem in a program for overseas students. Adelman was among 23 North American students who embarked on a mission to conduct seders through- out Passover in 40 small towns and shtetls in the Ukraine as part of a much larger effort. The students in Jerusalem and their counterparts in Kiev had been working for months through Project Elijah to bring Passover to Jews in the Ukraine who otherwise would not have had the opportunity to celebrate. As part of being accepted into the project, Eric took a class on the histo- ry of Russian Jewry from '1917-1999. "Thousands of elderly Jews in the Former Soviet Union (FSU) are liter- ally imprisoned in their homes, explains Rabbi Yossie Goldman, founder and director of Hillel in the FSU. "The communist regime gave Jews the least desirable apartments, the upper floors, with no*elevators. As these Jews age, it has become physically difficult for them to leave their own apartments. "Many have become virtual prisoners in their own homes," the rabbi said.- Adelman arrived in Kiev two days before Passover to meet the 25 Ukrainian students that he would be traveling with. They prepared their respective roles, reviewing rituals and songs. On the third day, Adelman boarded one of nine Pesach Hillelmobiles laden with matza, wine, Haggadot and other Passover necessities. The Hillelmobiles each had three North American students, three Kiev Hillel students, a driver and a security guard. Adelman's first stop was Birdichev, two hours west of Kiev. The group made several home visits and led a seder for 150 people. On average, Adelman and his team conducted three to four seders. a day, with 10-15 elderly Jews at each seder. During breaks, they visited the homebound elderly. "These are people who for two gen- erations were not allowed to have a seder, bar mitzvah or Jewish wedding, things most of us take for granted," said Adelman. "They lack what most American Jews call 'basic' Jewish knowledge.. For them, our coming was something they never thought possi- ble. "Some of the people were learning about Judaism and the seder for the first time, while for others it was a wonderful flashback to a forgotten memory that had been buried for 70 years under the communist regime. "Seeing this memory come back to them and watching their faces light up while hearing the familiar tune of Dayenu or the forgotten words of MaNistana was amazing," said Adelman. "We met a woman who had not left her home in nine years due to a medical condition. On the other hand, we met a sharp woman in her 80s who could recite Mishnah like a Talmud scholar." "These were incredibly strong peo- ple who have lived interesting, yet depressing lives," Adelman said. "People were eager to share their expe- riences of war and the Holocaust, exe- cution, communism, capitalism, and their Jewish upbringing, or the lack thereof" At a seder in Zhitomer, the lead- ers explained in Russian the mean- ing of the kiddush, karpas, matza and maror. At the time for the Four Questions, Adelman was beginning to sing when "from the kitchen, a L---\ little blond girl ran into the -room and stood at the head of the table and sang at the top of her lungs the exact words of 'MaNishtana.' On a night celebrating the Israelites' free- dom from Egypt, that little 6-year- old Ukrainian girl was proving to me that the miracle of Pesach was still happening ; " he said. "This Pesach, I explored my roots and gained a greater knowledge of our history through these people, - said Adelman. "Bur it is the people in the Ukraine who'really received the bene- fit. We were able to give them a. taste of their forgotten and unknown Jewish heritage. "Unfortunately, a generation has'_, -‘1 been lost in the Former Soviet Union. Slowly but surely, though, Jewish life is coming back. The Jews still remaining in the FSU cannot be Foramen." The Pesach Project was sponsored by the United JeWish Appeal, Beit Hillel and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Some:800 FSU Hillel activists led Passover cele--10 brations in more than 300 FSU com- munities. Said Adelman: "For all of the Jews of the FSU, and especially for that lit- tle girl, we offered a glimpse 'of hope: Next 'ear in Jerusalem. Ne\i. year, - may we be free." n