Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1987-01-08

              iJW// Serving Columbus and Central Ohio Jewish Community for Over 60 Years     \JP§/\
VOL.65   NO. 2
JANUARY 8,1087-TEVET 7
Devoted to American
and Jewish (deats.
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BEHIND THE HEADLINES
Freed Soviet Refuseniks Mark
irst Chanukah In United States
Temple Israel Consecration Held December 12
Pictured above is the Temple Israel 1986 Consecration Class, their rabbis and
teachers. The special ceremony took place Shabbat evening, Dec. 12. The children led
the congregation in prayer and song and were then called individually before the ark
for a special blessing from Rabbi Sanford Akselrad. This was followed by a presentation of a gift from the Temple Brotherhood by President Jeff Glassman, Members of
the class were: Robin Baird, Brian Belkin, Megan Bloom; Jessica Bowden, Sam Bur-
man, Melissa Cohen, Jason Ehmahn, Kathryn Ellison, Jeffrey Farber, Neelee Fields,
Jenny Finn, Aaron Fisher, Sarah Goldman, Alyson Greenfield, Jessica Guthoff, Cody
Beth Henkin, Mickey Kellerman, Karen Kleinman, Jennifer Knight, Jamie Kobacker,
Jennifer Lantz, Brent Lehring, Joshua Levenstein, Eric Levy, Jeffrey Lipp, Brette
Luck, Michelle Mentzer^ Olivia Mitchell, Aaron NeWhouse, Jessie Oser, Melissa
Palmer, Andrew Romanoff, .Samuel Rosen, Erica Somogyi, Sarah Stanich, Mark
Stempel, Stacey Topoiosky, * -V
NEW YORK (JTA) - Re-
cently released Soviet
refuseniks, including cancer
patients, who emigrated to
the United States to be reunited with their families
and receive advanced medical treatment, spent their
first Chanukah free to
observe the holiday as they
wished.
In New York, Prof. David
Goldfarb attended Chanu-
kah/Shabbat services at a
Manhattan synagogue, Temple Shaaray Tefila, Where he
Was guest of honor. The retired molecular biologist,
who had not celebrated the
Festival of Lights in 63
years, jumped at the chance
to attend the services following the Reform synagogue's
invitation.'
In a lengthy telephone interview with Goldfarb from
his hospital bed at Columbia-
Presbyterian Medical Cen-.
ter here, he explained to the
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
why this Chanukah was so
special to him.,
His first Chanukah since
FEATURE
Former Refuseniks End
tong Journey In Columbus
By Judith Franklin
News Editor
This past Chanukah held
special meaning for the Medvedkov family. Last Chanukah, they were refuseniks in
the Soviet Union; this year,
they are free, living in their
own apartment right here in
Worthington.
Their long journey actually began six years ago in
1981 when Professor Yuri
Medvedkov, who is not Jewish, and his wife, Olga, who
is — both active in the dissident Moscow Group ot Trust
— applied to emigrate from
the U.S.S.R. A$ social geographers, Dr; Medvedkov
explains, they often con- •
fronted such issues as inequality, overcrowding on
public transportation, influenza epidemics, issues
embarrassing to Soviet offi?
cials, issues which they
didn't want publicized. The
Medvedkovs found their
academic freedom becoming more and more restricted and felt it was in
their best interest to move
elsewhere.
After applying to emigrate, the Medvedkovs found
that, conditions worsened.
They were allowed to continue their work and retain
their  membership  in  the
Academy of Sciences but
were forbidden to teach,
publish or conduct any
meaningful research, according to Dr. Medvedkov.
They were also watched by
the police, harassed by the
KGB,   even  briefly  imprisoned.
Gradually,  the group to
ADL Singled Out For Role
In Passage Of S.B. 316
At the Ethnic Vandalism and Intimidation Bill (S.E.
316) signing in Cleveland on Dec. 17, Senator Lee
Fisher (D-Shaker Heights) singled out the Anti-
Defamation League of B'nai B'rith for its contribution
to the passage of the bill. Pictured (1. to r.) are David
Goldberg, chairman of ADL's Cleveland Regional
Board; David C.Friedman, regional director of ADL's
Cleveland office; Andrea J. Armitage, assistant director of ADL's Columbus office; Dr. Alan S. Katchen, regional director of ADL's Columbus office; Senator
, Michael R. White (D-Cleveland); Senator Fisher;
Governor Richard Celeste; Marilyn Weiner, Cleveland
ADL Regional Board members; Representative Jan#
Campbell (D-Cleveland), and Michael A. Geller, assistant director of ADL's Columbus office.   ;
which the Medvedkovs belonged gained political
strength and was able to discredit such Soviet proga-
ganda as the claim that the
country's military arsenal is
for defensive purposes only.
Their ultimate goal, Professor Medvedkov explains,
was "to catch the Soviets in
the lie of their 'Pledge of
Peace.' They preach peace,
but are they peaceful?"
Having this type of knowledge and disseminating it
(last summer, he distributed
pamphlets warning of health
risks associated with the
nuclear accident at Chernobyl) Professor Medvedkov
believes was partially responsible for his family's
surprise release. He thinks
other factors could have
been the Soviets' current
program of "window dressing'' or the Iceland summit
meeting, but "it is an
enigma to be here," he
admits, adding however i
that "it's far better than
being in Siberia."
The family, including his
son, Michael, 11, and his two-
year-old daughter, Mary,
and his wife's parents, Lev
and Iya Erushalisky, were
ordered to leave on Sept. 16
and given only two days to be
out of the country.
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 5)
1923, when he went to synagogue with his grandmother,
said Goldfarb, "was a very
nice time for different reasons: because it is a day of
real history when I say it is a
symbol of Jews fighting
against their enemies. Now I
feel I am a part of the Jewish
people."
He felt that in Moscow,
too, he said, "but from a different side, because Jewish
people in Moscow up to today
have no possibilities to spend
their time in synagogue" or
celebrating openly.
"I am not a religious
man," he said. "My family
was very progressive, my
environment was liberal and
not connected with religion."
Some members of his family
maintained religious ties, he
said.
But his parents, Moisey
Goldfarb and Mindl Lerner
— his mother's name was
"transformed to Maria," he
said — were given special
privileges' to study and become professors, privileges
not usually accorded to Jews
(CONTINUED ON PAGE <3>
Federation Campaign
Opens The New Year
At Over $5.6 Million
The 1987 Columbus Jewish
Federation Campaign broke
the $5.6 million mark with a
total pledged to date of
$5,637,000, exceeding the
final 1986 Campaign achievement of $5.6 million.
"It is a , remarkable
achievement to begin the
new year," said Norman
Traeger, 1987 General Campaign chairman. "With six
weeks left in this campaign,
I am proud, but I know our
work is not done: our collective responsibility to help
our fellow Jews here, in Israel and around the world."
Norman Traeger
Traeger explained that the
Campaign Closing event will
be held on Feb. 18 and there
are stil more than 2,500
individuals who have not
made their 1987 Campaign
pledge. "The achievement to
date is incredible, but the
fact remains that we still
need complete community
participation to achieve our
$6.2 million goal. One major
broad-based effort will be
made during our Super Sunday Phone-a-thon on Jan.
18," he'continued. "I urge
you to''Answer the Call' and
be a part of the opportunity
to insure. Jewish strength
and continuity."
The United Jewish Fund
Campaign of the Columbus
Jewish Federation supports
agencies and programs in
Columbus, throughout the
United States, in Israel and
33 countries around the
world.
Rabbi Ciner To Head
Martin Luther King
Advisory Council
Rabbi Alan G. Ciner,
spiritual leader of the
Agudas Achim Synagogue,
has been appointed chairman of the Martin Luther
King Advisory Council for
the city of Columbus.
A press conference held hi
City Council Chambers on
Dec. 15 at 5:30 found Councilman Ben Espy joining with
Rabbi Ciner in announcing
the city's celebration of the
birthday of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
In announcing the event
that will be the city's first
such celebration, Espy indicated that Rabbi Ciner had
been serving as chairman of
the King Advisory Council,
whose tasks included coordinating the activities for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
1987. Serving with Rabbi
Ciner as co-chairman is Clif-
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 13)
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