NEW AT ARTSPACE The Border 1938 and the outbreak of World War II, the entire world to accept Jewish refugees. the Jewish experience in this little-known country. 2 ing. They actually failed, and Bolivia joined the Allies in the fight against the Nazis." The Jewish community in the mid- '30s had been very small, and its members had a small Jewish congrega- tion based on Eastern European Jewish life, according to the author. When the German and Austrian Jews came in, they found practices very similar to what was done in central Europe with variances from Orthodox to quite secular. "People asserted their Judaism more in Bolivia during that period of time," Spitzer says. "It was almost kind of a reaction to the fact that they had been defined. as Jews by the Nazis and therefore [returned] to their Judaism. My parents were quite secular in Europe, but they sent me to a Jewish school and returned to Judaism. "There was a kind of communal assertion of pride in being Jewish, and it was one of the ways people asserted their identity as a group." While Jews entered Bolivia fleeing horrendous circumstances, they found a place they could recall with many happy emotions and spoke about them on Spitzer's tapes. These people will have longevity beyond the book because the author is giving some of his tapes to the Video Archive of Holocaust Survivors at Yale University and transcriptions to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, where there is a large collection of Latin American immigrant materials. "I miss the closeness, intense friendships and the communal life expressed through the Austrian Club, MILTON AVERY ROBERT MOTHERWELL HANS ARP ROBERT WILBERT PHILIP SMITH TONY SMITH GORDON NEWTON STUART DAVIS LESTER JOHNSON ROY LICHTENSTEIN BRENDA GOODMAN ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG SAM FRANCIS ARTSPACE I '303 I:. MARL BIRMINGHAM. MICJIIGAN 48009 T.248 258 1540 F. 248 2'58 8814 TO CONSIGN. CALI LOIS PINCUS COHN Leo Spitzer: "Bolivia took more refugees in a short period of time than Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the British Commonwealth countries combined" Jewish Community Center and the Jewish schools," says Spitzer, who has kept in touch with former neighbors in Bolivia. "I also miss a lot about the country. It was an extremely beautiful place, and I'm very fond of many Bolivians and their culture. "People saw this as a very impor- tant part of their lives. The vast major- ity arrived in dire straits, and Bolivia gave them asylum. Over time, some did quite well economically and other- wise. Many tell of negative experi- ences, struggles they had to go through, but as a whole, they look back on Bolivia as a very positive experience." Fl Leo Spitzer will speak at the Jewish Book Fair at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 11, at the D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building of the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield, co-sponsored by American Friends of Hebrew University, Michigan State University's Jewish Studies Program and Michigan Coalition of Secular and Humanistic Jews (Birmingham Temple, Jewish Parents Institute, Workmen's Circle/Arbeter Ring and Sholem Aleichem Institute). (248) 661-1000. • Come see why the New York Times and Elle magazine choose Unica as one of the best home shopping sites. Unique gifts, accessories and furniture. Extensive selection of books on design, architecture, art glass and studio pottery. We also offer bridal & gift registry. 340 East Maple Road Birmingham, Michigan 48009 p: 248.593.9085 f: 248.593.9087 w: http://www.unicahome.com 11/5 1999 Detroit Jewish News 85