Ohio Jewish Chronicle, 1991-12-19

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The Ohio Jewish Chronicle
Sepiing Columbus and Central Ohio
''   Jewish Community for Over 60 Years
VOLUME 69
NUMBER 52
DECEMBER 19,1991
12TEVET57S2
. DEVQTED  TO, AMERICAN   AND   JEWISH   IDEALS
JCC changes category
for membership
page.2
1992 Fall Mission
chairpersons named
page 2
The Blue Box
Exhibition
*■>
page3
Blood Donor Council
plans holiday effort
page 4
fcjF Campaign
reaches $5.5 million  *
'   "',.' page 8
EARLY DEADLINES
■'' , Thursday, Dec. 26, issue
;; NOON, THURSDAY, DEC. 19
,'•'-•, Thursday, Jan. 2, issue r
;~rr:A „. NOON, THURSDAY, DEC. 26
,'14'i r.'The QJC office will be closed on Wednesday,
%Pi%   '-/      'Dec; 25, and Wednesday, fan. 1
_«*■ In The Chronicle
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LOCAL FEATURE
rI7ie Painting Men'-—
Two New Americans make their mark
3f. i •
By Ina Horwitz
Like many New Americans,
brothers-in-law Bentsion Bilenko and Edward Dashkovsky left the Soviet Union to
come to America for a better
life. And like their fellow countrymen, they left their material goods, their jobs, their
friends and even family members to start over in a new
land.
Within two years of their arrival in Columbus, Bilenko
and Dashkovsky have become
entrepreneurs. About six
months ago, they formed their
own company, The Painting
Men, which does interior/exterior painting for apartments, homes and offices, .
According to director of resettlement for Jewish Family
Services, Sara Chay, only five
families, including Bilenko
and Dashkovsky, out of 150
families who have,settled in
Columbus in the last three
years, are self-employed. The
majority are employed as professionals, government workers and in private business.
Through the Family Ties
program at Jewish Family
Services, Attorney Nelson
Genshaft and his wife, Carole,
became the adoptive family
for the Bilenkos when they
first, arrived in Columbus.
Genshaft refers to their painting business as an American
success story. "They really
came from nowhere (Tashkent, Uzebkistan) out of Russia and have made something
of themselves here," he said.
Bilenko added that although
Tashkent may not be well-
known in this country, its population is twice the size of Columbus.
They both own homes, unusual for New Russian Americans, since the concept is hew
to them, added Genshaft.
Bilenko, 45, holds a master's
degree in mechanical engineering from a Russian university. In Russia, he was
chief of a large construction
company, and Dashkovsky,
37, was a construction company supervisor.. As they, step
by step, advanced their careers in the Soviet Union, they
basically did the same when
they came here.
Bilenko first worked for one
and one-half years as a technician for Ricart Motors and
Dashkovsky worked for a
plumbing company. They said
they had a difficult time at
first, because they didn't understand enough about the
American free enterprise system.
. Since their arrival in May,
1989, they saved their money.
It was their goal from the
start to own their own business. "With my painting, it is
not really different than what
I did in Russia," said Bilenko.
"We just use different materials and different tools."
"Both families seem to be
melting into our society very
well, and that's good to see,"
said Genshaft.
"We enjoy the work," said
Bilenko. "While we have
started from a small business,
we are moving up. We have
been very busy, working 10-14
hours a day,"
Both wives, also sisters,
work, too. Bilenko's wife,
Mira, who holds a master's
degree from a Soviet university, works in the ESL (English
as a Second Language) program for the Columbus Public
Schools. She teaches English
to other New Americans, including Russians, Chinese and
Vietnamese. She and Bilenko,
live on the eastside with their
two sons, ages' 18 and 19, who
attend Ohio State University.
The younger one wants to be a
doctor of medicine.
Dashkovsky's wife, Gina,
who was a physician in Russia, is employed by the City of
Columbus to translate refugees' medical problems to
American doctors.
Both men see winter approaching and are concerned
about their schedule. They
want to remain as busy as possible and would like help from
the Jewish community in getting more jobs. They have a
special reason for wanting to
see their business grow.
"As more people settle here
from Russia, some with lesser
education and qualifications *
than we have, we want to be
able to teach them," said Bilenko. "I don't think there will
be enough jobs for all New
Americans."
He added that when he
came here, he understood little of the English language. If
his company prospers, he can
hire other new arrivals, he
said. If need be, he will translate to them in Russian to assist their progress. He believes that once they have experience, they will be more
likely to find jobs with other
companies.
He also said that as their
company gets bigger, it will
be able to provide health insurance, which he feels will be
of great help to other new Russian Jewish families. .*'"
Because the government
quota fell short of the maximum 40,000 Soviet Jews in
1991 by 13,000, the Administration has agreed to allow 53,000
Russian people to emigrate to
America in 1992.
Chay stressed the urgency
for the Jewish community to
help the more than 100 new arrivals expectedfrom toe Soviet Union to Columbus in 1992.
"To help these people means
furnishing 35 households, establishing 35 family ties, finding 35 tutors and vocational
mentors," said Chay. "Right
now, we're short on furniture
and volunteers."'
Despite all these challenges,
however, Bilenko and Dashkovsky continue to stress the
importance of the private sector in providing the assistance
needed. With that help, people, like them, will always
have the opportunity to pursue
, the American dream, they
noted.
Ina Horwitz is a local freelance writer and frequent OJC
contributor.