For Openers
Getting To 'Da'
Yiddish Limericks
N
There once was a shadchan* named Lou
Who said, "Looks aren't all. That's true.
ew Americans who are first-time filers of U.S. Census
forms may be confused by the American terminology
and apprehensive about revealing too much to the gov-
ernment.
To remedy this, those taking English as a Second Language class-
es at the Jewish Community Center in Oak Park were shown two
Russian-language videos produced by the Census Bureau. One
video answered each census question, for both the short and long
forms, and posed sample problems that may arise.
One issue
addressed: "I don't
know what race I am
nited States
because all it says is
white, and I am
Jewish."
Debbie Hitsky, an
English teacher at the
in Russian
Jimmy Prentis Morris
Elepernacb Hac enema CWA
Building who showed
the videos, said, "That
was an issue in the
Soviet Union — Jewish was a nationality." The video instructed
that it is correct to check "white" on the form.
Another obstacle the Census Bureau seeks to address is immigrants'
apprehension about supplying information to the federal government,
which may be carryover from living through the Soviet era.
Nimrod Rosenthal, city of Southfield community relations
director, is leading a campaign reaching out to immigrants from
the former Soviet Union and Iraq. "We targeted newcomers
because they tend to be more suspicious of government," he said.
Hitsky said the other video sought to allay those fears, offering a
nostalgic look at immigration with scenes of Ellis Island.
"Sen. Lautenberg ED-N.J.] was in it," she said, adding that the
newcomers are aware that he was "one of the authors of the Jackson
Amendment in 1979 that opened the gates for Russian-Jewish
immigrants."
Hitsky said she thinks both census videos were effective.
As the classes watching the videos were dispersing, Rosenthal's
crew passed out multi-language Census 2000 literature along with
promotional mugs, pens and magnets.
"A lot of Southfield's Russian residents visit JPM for English
classes," he explained. "If we get an Oak Park resident, it's fine,
too." ❑
Me daf nit zein shain;
Me daf hobben chain.**
Of course, a yerusha*** helps, too!"
Martha Jo Fleischmann
—
* matchmaker
** "You don't have to be pretty if you have charm."
*** inheritance
U
Quotables
2000
— David Sachs, Editorial Assistant
"It's high school,
with money."
— Comedian Jerry
Seinfeld, on the
emphasis on fashion
among attendees at
the Academy
Awards telecast.
I
1
"To see
Orthodox,
Conservative and
Reform Jews together
enjoying the music, it's just so inspi-
rational. It's so valuable in building
bridges of understanding."
— Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberg, on Congregation Shir
Tikvah's co-sponsorship, along with the Jewish
Community Center and the Jewish News, of Saturday
night's Reva L'Sheva concert at the JCC, which had
areas for men-only dancing, women-only dancing and
mixed dancing.
"If we go to a door and someone says, 'We're
Jewish and don't want to hear anything,' then we're
moving on."
— A Southern Baptist Convention officiah on com-
plaints from Jewish groups about plans to bring
10,000 volunteer missionaries to Chicago this summer
to evangelize in the streets.
An Extraordinary
Event to Benefit
Children with
Special Needs
SUNDAY
MAY 7, 2000
Noon-4:oo pm
GAMEWORKS
Great Lakes Crossing
Auburn Hills
An exclusive
JARC afternoon
for the entire
family
TICKET PRICES:
Adult (16 6 over) $4o each
Child (4 to 15)
Sao each
Under 4
FREE
Special Thanks To:
Northern Trust Bank
The Private Bank
GRAPLIEWZ
BY Mendel
RABBI, C NAVE A RU'tL-
BUDGET PROBLEM . LOG
CAN'T BOOK A BIG NAME
SPE A KGR FoR LESS
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OHDGAR 1 AND Is THERE
OH- 809, I 5E6 THEY 'RE
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AT THIS A. AR'S Pt/JfJUAL-
MEETWG
WE'LL, THERE
IS THIS
••••••••
CALL TODAY
TO ORDER TICKETS
248 352 5277 ext. 4/8
Ant
Merle and Shirley Harris
Children and Family Division
28366 Franklin Road
Southfield, MI 48034
jarc@jarc.org • www.jarc.org
zt
so,
3/31
2000
5