Metro

I Know
That Song!

Russian performers delight at
Circle of Friends benefit.

R

ussian musicians performed
for more than 100 immi-
grants from the former Soviet
Union, bringing them back to their
former homeland with Yiddish,
Hebrew and English songs. The bene-
fit raised money for Congregation
Beth Shalom's program for new immi-
grants, Circle of Friends.
Beth Shalom began Circle of Friends
seven years ago to absorb new immi-
grants and teach them English. Today,
the program is in jeopardy for lack of
funding. The
Concert of Friends
was the organiza-
tion's first fund-rais-
er, bringing the
Circle of Friends
closer to the
$11,000 needed to
continue its pro-
gram.
About 50 immi-
grants, many of
whom live within
walking distance of
RONIT
the Oak Park con-
PINTO
gregation, gather for
Columnist
weekly Sunday-
morning conversa-
tion groups. They learn about Judaism
— a practice denied them in the
Soviet Union — and polish their
English.
Joanna Berger of West Bloomfield
co-chaired the May 22 concert with
Ellie Slovis of Bloomfield Hills. The
synagogue's cultural commission pre-
sented it.

A former teacher, Berger now teach-
es English to the Russians, though she
doesn't speak Yiddish or Russian.
Though it's difficult, she said. "You do
it with a lot of love."
The musicians were well-known
Jewish performers like Singer Ida
Kogan of Farmington Hills. She sang
with Rose Morgan, a 91-year-old
piano player from Southfield. The
duo, 17 years together, began the
evening with heartfelt Yiddish,
Hebrew and English songs..
Keyboardist Peter
Levitin, of Commerce
and violinist Harry
Hovakimian of
Southfield gave a beautiful rendition
of "Sunrise Sunset." The men, also
known as the duo Overtime, play at
the Fiddler, a Russian restaurant in
West Bloomfield.
Other concert performers were
singer Lyudmila Lebedintseva and
piano player Ernst Fastovskiy. Also,
Gennadiy Zut, a virtuoso balalaika (a
guitar-like instrument) player with his
accompanist, Tatyana Zut; both are
from Farmington Hills.
"The talent was something you
don't see every day," said Lenny
Newman, of Huntington Woods
described by many as the "soul of
Circle of Friends."
Guests joined hands and danced
around the room for Lebedintseva's

RUSSIAN ROOTS

Above: Ninety-one-year-old
Rose Morgan has accompanied
singer Ida Kogan for 17 years.

Right: Listening attentively are
Roman Gorelik of Southfield,
Lenny Newman of Huntington
Woods and Ellie Slovis of
Bloomfield Township.

Lillian Gold of Oak Park checks out the program.

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2005

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Ida Kogan belts out a song.

Hava Nagila.