Shotar The B'nai B'rith Youth Organization Kislev 5746, December 1985 Aleph Zadik Aleph (AZA) B'nai B'rith Girls (BBG) The Children Of Refuseniks: A First-Hand Look At Their Lives By Rabbi Gary S. Fink (Oseh Shalom not prepared for the feelings. stopped speaking to her after her family may release an older daughter but not Congregation, Laurel, MD) I was surprised by the overwhelming became refuseniks. her parents. "But I continue to be hope- flood of emotions inside of me as I began At first, Ora said, she didn't really un- ful," she insists. Facts and feelings. The facts are clear the return trip home. When the plane derstand why her family wanted to leave enough. There are almost three million lifted off of the Moscow runway, I was Russia. She felt some resentment at being Jews in the Soviet Union. The Soviet gov- overcome with relief and sheer put in a dangerous situation. She was Geulah is a quiet twelve-year-old girl. ernment singles out Jews for discrimina- also felt a terrible sadness, knowing that confused and terrified. However, the Her parents have been refuseniks for tion, hate propaganda, and harassment. I was leaving so many good people be- more anti-Jewish abuse she faced in eight years. She lives in Moscow with her Jews are described in newspapers, books hind. I felt as if a great weight had been school and in the neighborhood, the younger sister, baby brother, and parents. and on television almost every day as evil lifted from my shoulders. By far, my most more she realized why her parents were Her grandparents were allowed to leave and dishonest. The Soviet government enjoyable experience of the Soviet Union so desperate to emigrate. Russia five years ago with her uncle, aunt often accuses Israel of being like Nazi was leaving it! I could only imagine the At the age of fourteen, she had almost and cousins. She misses them terribly. Germany. Although the Soviet constitu- emotion that an emigrant feels upon gain- no Jewish education. She knew very little Her grandparents have never seen her tion guarantees freedom of religion, Jews ing his or her freedom. about her people. Throughout High baby brother. are thrown in prison for teaching Before the trip, I knew the facts. But School, though, she learned about Juda- She is afraid that her father or mother Hebrew, observing the Sabbath, and try- during the visit I learned a little of-how it ism in secret classes at home. Now she could be arrested and sent to prison for ing to live a Jewish life. felt to be a refusenik. feels great pride in her identity and her teaching Hebrew. She hears of arrests of Earlier this year, another rabbi and I people. Now, she emphasizes, she knows family friends every few weeks. But she traveled to the Soviet Union and met with what it means to be a Jew. And she wants doesn't like to think about it. refuseniks - Jews who have been refused Ora is twenty. She loves ice cream, mu- with all her heart to go to Israel, Eretz In school, she is often teased and har- permission to leave Russia. We spoke sic, and collects stamps. She has been a Yisrael- homeland. assed by other children. She is the only with families who were punished because refusenik since she was fourteen. Now The closeness of her refusenik friends Jew in her class, and the other students they wanted to live in freedom. When she studies mathematics at a two-year allowed her to survive the pressure, she look down at her and her family. Geulah they applied to leave, most of them were community college with many other re- said. "And it still does," she added. "We is also small for her age, so she is singled fired from their jobs. Many phones were fusenik children. She finds her school all stick together. It is like being part of a out for especially harsh tormenting from cut off, and apartments were ransacked work very easy; so do her friends. Actu- large family. We even try to apply to bigger classmates. She spends all of her and searched. Books and papers were or with refusenik regularly taken from their homes. Many year University. But most Jewish students children." friends. of their friends are in prison for the are not allowed to enter the University. do not worry that we might be She studies Hebrew and other subjects "crime" of studying or teaching Hebrew. The Soviet government tries to keep Jews trapped here forever. My greatest fear," for eight hours every Sunday. She reads During the ten-day trip, I saw a world in less skilled careers and out of regular she said, "is that part of my family will be Hebrew well and speaks a little. Geulah in which intimidation is a government colleges. allowed to leave and someone will have looks forward to the time when her fam- policy. In Russia, physical and psycholog- She does not have any friends, she told to stay behind." Sometimes the govern- ily will be in Israel and everything will be ical brutality are facts of life. me, except for other refusenik children. ment allows either a husband or a wife to in Hebrew. I was prepared for the facts. But I was Her neighborhood and school friends leave but not both. Or the government Continued on Page 9 A Visit to the Soviet Union Jews in the USSR By Jerry Kiewe (Assistant Regional Sometimes we went in pairs, other Director, Gold Coast Council) times all four at once. But they never By Cari Kohn (International Sh'licha) seemed to mind. No matter what the If we forget them the world will for- Over the past summer I and three of number they always opened their doors, my close friends and colleagues had the get them! their homes and their hearts to us. The voice of Soviet Jews is heard far unique opportunity to travel to the USSR. At every home they insisted that we We stayed five days each in both beyond the borders of the USSR, and it have tea with them. "A Russian custom," Leningrad and Moscow and during that has found a response in the hearts of they explained. Often there were biscuits time were able to meet with 13 refusenik many millions of Jews and non-Jews or cakes or assorted other foods. On sev- families there. All of those that we met throughout the world. There are attempts eral occasions, particularly on Shabbat, exhibited a spirit and courage which to muffle, to stop this voice so that the we were even served entire meals! touched us deeply and the memories of world will not know what is happening to Accompanying the food was an endless our time with them will forever remain Soviet Jews. This is achieved by discon- exchange of information, sometimes in imbedded in our minds and in our necting the telephones in the apartments English, sometimes in Hebrew, and some- hearts. of Soviet Jews, by not delivering their times in a mixture of both. The topics In most cases our first contact was a mail, by preventing them from meeting ranged from Aliyah to Zionism and in- phone call. My three friends and I were their friends from the west. Tyranny does cluded everything in between. One strangers, faceless voices at the other not like publicity. No matter what the talked to us with a sense of urgency aims of the authorities are, the Jews of end of a telephone wire. But somehow about a recent trial of his friend in they sensed the sincerity in our words the USSR will go on struggling for their Leningrad another chatted with us and they knew that we were friends, rights: for the right to leave the country about the popularity of tennis in Moscow. brothers and sisters from across the freely in order to become reunited with We discussed Reagan and the recent their people in Israel and for the right to ocean. Continued on Page maintain close ties with Jewish commu- Rabbi Gary S. Fink nities throughout the world. This struggle would be unthinkable About the Author without the support of the whole Jewish people and their friends. If we forget Gary S. Fink has served as Rabbi of them the world will forget them. Oseh Shalom Congregation in Laurel, The following are facts concerning So- MD, a suburb of Washington, D.C., since viet religious and cultural oppression of 1980. A native of Baltimore, Rabbi Fink re- Jews: ceived his undergraduate degree from FACT: Of the 119 different nationalities in the University of Maryland, where he the Soviet Union, 118 have their own cul- later taught a course in interpersonal tural institutions, theatres, printing communication. In 1978 he was ordained houses and publications in their native from the Hebrew Union College in Cin- languages, schools, and instructions in cinnati. Rabbi Fink and his wife Step- their national language. Only the Jews, hanie have two children: Alia, age 8, and the 12th largest national minority in the Ari, age 4. Continued on Page 9