Jewish Federation correspondence, meeting minutes, and other records, item 32

Passage To Freedom Jews - Jews - Jews! That must have been what Pharoh was muttering when Moses said "Let my people go!" For over 4,000 years Jews have been refugees. At times, windows of opportunity to seek sanctuary have opened for the Jewish people. Currently, the American Jewish community is experiencing such a period. During the 1970's, the Soviet Union temporarity loosened its grip on emigration. By the early 80's however, emigration had slowed to a trickle. Soviet emigration policy confounds the best thinkers as it is decided with little rhyme or reason. In 1988, close to 19,000 Jews come to the United States. An outpouring of 40,000 refugees is projected this year with at least 90% coming to the United States. How will the American Jewish community respond? Las Vegas is part of the Jewish Community's rescue effort. Like other communities, we are resettling Soviet families who have relatives in our community, and have been allowed to leave the Soviet Union. Initially, most communities experienced a clash of cultures and struggled to understand this new and seeming strange group. Jewish Family Service?Agency is the community's "quarterback" in leading the resettlement effort. Soviet Jews arriving in local communities experience a roller coaster of emotions. Feelings of loss, anger, and bewilderment result from being "uprooted" from their homes. At times, Soviet refugees feel helpless due to the lack of language and going from one culture to another. Understanding the difference in culture is critical. Your Russian great grandfather came to America in 1910 from a shtetl where he knew what Jewish life was all about. He could speak to the Jews here in Yiddish and he knew how to live with Capitolism. The refugees of the 70's and 80's are products of three generations of Communist life with a great deal of exposure to anti religious propaganda and almost no exposure to Judaism. Soviets don't understand the Jewish communal world or understand the meaning of a Jewish organization. They usually think the caseworker from Jewish Family Service is the Jewish representative of the State. Soviet refugees receive direct help from the Jewish community. Jewish Family Service Agency draws on U.S. government and Jewish community resources to supply the refugee with housing and pays for his rent, food, and other necessities during his initial months here. JFSA, as a representative of the Jewish community, has the responsibility of helping the refugees remain in the United States safely and to supply him with a minimum, yet basic standard of living until he becomes self supporting. Helping the refugee is a mutual or shared responsibility of the community and the refugee's relatives. Families are expected to derive some financial support from local relatives. .A Mutual expectations are negotiated between local relatives and Jewish family Service Agency. Refugee Resettlement is a traditional service of the Jewish Community: "When strangers live with you in your land, you must not oppress them. The stangers who live with you shall be to you like citizens, and you shall love them as yourself, for you were stangers in the land of Egypt." Leviticus Jews remember what it is like to be alone!