mat Younger
Russians Do
For Leisure
or Russian professionals
age 21 and older, relax-
ing on the weekend at a
DJ party is a popular option.
After the 2 a.m. closing time
at a nightclub, Dmitry Nevelev
of West Bloomfield said it's not
unusual for a large group to
congregate at someone's house.
"We play music, drink, talk,
have some munchies," he said.
"In the warm weather, we go to
someone's pool."
Other young Russians inter-
viewed at Club Heat in Pontiac
said they like to do the same
kinds of things as American-
born Jews: go to movies, watch
TV and travel. Vlad
Tismenetskiy, an endodonist
from West Bloomfield, said he
enjoys museums and opera.
Most of the young adults at
DJ Jenny's party were teenagers
when they moved here, and
were not brought up religiously
by their parents.
West Bloomfield's Yaakov
Valk, born in Latvia, said most
Russians he knows like to expe-
rience Judaism's traditions. He
himself was planning to attend
High Holiday services at Temple
Israel in West Bloomfield.
Tismenetskiy, who moved
with his wife Helen back to
Michigan from Philadelphia 1'12
years ago, said they are shopping
for a synagogue.
"My feeling for Judaism is a
sense of belonging," he said.
— Esther Allweiss Tschirhart
Cover Story
Russian Roots
PARTY LOYALISTS from page 65
ON,
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THE PROFESSIONALS AT
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Latvian-born Yakov Valk, right, DJ Jenny's employer at JVG Modernizing Inc. in
West Bloomfield, enjoys the camaraderie at the Club Heat party.
At Club Heat, Vlad Tismenetskiy
said he really likes the music Jenny
plays. She offers modern Russian
music — "the hits," he said, and also
turns to disco, Latin, house,
European, American and other styles
of music. An Eminem song could be
heard mixed with a Russian vocal
track.
"There are a million different kinds
of music," the deejay said. "I don't like
to stick to one."
Her interest in world music segued
into concert promotion. She brings in
Russian bands and memorably
arranged for the Paris-based group
Alabina to appear at Royal Oak Music
Theatre.
Connecting People
The Russian-Jewish community in Oak
Park and Southfield has slowly spread
into Farmington Hills and West
Bloomfield, eroding some of its immi-
grant cohesion. Alina Tovbin of West
Bloomfield, a pharmacist at Henry Ford
Hospital, likes the atmosphere at Club
Heat, where "people can come and they
don't feel lonely." She said they bond
through the music and dancing.
Russian Arthur Itkis and his
American-born wife, Julie, drive in from
Farmington Hills whenever the "awe-
some" DJ Jenny has a bash because she
gives "the Russian community a place to
listen to some European music."
His wife added, "She keeps the dance
floor going, getting the crowd out
there."
Irina Diamand of Farmington Hills,
collecting the $5 cover charge ($10 after
11 p.m.), said her longtime friend
Feterovich "has an energy everyone is
attracted to."
"She's like an information booth,"
added Diamand, who works in the
mortgage industry. Feterovich is some-
PARTY LOYALISTS on page 68
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The Russian Simcliali Maker
DJ Jenny La Femme calls Ben
Opengeym of West Bloomfield "the
live-entertainment version of me."
The Latvian-born musician, in this
country 12 years, is a popular enter-
tainer in the Russian community. He
plays keyboards and sings in English,
Russian and Yiddish with his five-
piece band.
"I run my own global entertain-
ment agency," he said. "It's not just
the music, but planning the parties,
too."
The band will travel out of state as
needed for private parties, including
weddings and b'nai mitzvah.
Opengeym is planning a new ven-
ture at the site of the former La
Difference restaurant on Orchard
Lake Road in West Bloomfield. His
new place, Maestro, will be a lounge
offering live and DJ music and inter-
national cuisine. He said the facility
is being remodeled to open early next
year.
— Esther Allweiss Tschirhart
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Ben Opengeym is a popular entertainer
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2003
67