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Russian Resettlement
Page 7-THE NEWS-November 1992
— Update —
The Jews Of Georsia
By Lynne Cojac
Though there have been no
new arrivals in the past few
months, Russian Resettlement
continues in Charlotte. The
Charlotte Coalition for Soviet
(Russian) Resettlement is in the
process of approving the Reset
tlement Plan for the next three
years.
Recent emigres who have
joined our community are in
volved Jews. They send their
children to Religious Schools,
Hebrew High School and Post-
Confirmation classes. Many
worshipped with us for the High
Holy Days. In this fresh start for
the year 5753, please think of
some way in which you, person
ally, can help involve a Russian
family in the Jewish community.
We have so much to offer them
and they have the potential of
so much to give.
Job Needed
David Shklovsky came to
Charlotte in May 1990 with his
wife, Alla, and son Vovo, now
in the second grade at Idlewild
Elementary. David’s education
was at the Leningrad Academic
Institute where he studied water
supply and sewage systems. He
has studied Auto CAD 2 & 3D
and DCA at CPCC. David has
done work in Charlotte as a
CAD draftsman and designer,
producing shop drawings. He
had worked for seven years with
the City of Leningrad Develop-
David Shklovsky
ment Department. His skills
include working on public
works/utilities team projects.
He has excellent organizational
skills, ability to make field
decisions independently and
thorough knowledge of math
and basic computer operations.
David is in need of work. He
seeks employment as a Civil or
Environmental Engineer. He has
experience in waste water supply
systems for industry and local
communities, including water
supply and waste water collec
tion facilities, storm drains,
sanitary sewage systems and
environmental problems. David
would appreciate the opportuni
ty to interview for any employ
ment at this time. If you know
any employer who could benefit
from David’s talents, your help
in arranging this interview
would be greatly appreciated.
Please call JFS, 364-6594.
Medical Professionals Donate
Services To New Americans
By Lynne Cojac
Jewish Family Services has
been the support system for all
the Russians who have come to
live in Charlotte, providing help
with adjusting to a new commu
nity and culture, finding jobs,
providing a furnished apart
ment, transportation until driv
ers’ licenses are acquired, teach
ing English, and a myriad of
other necessary parts to the
whole of their well-being. In
addition to this, the JCC, Tem
ple Israel, Temple Beth El and
Lubavitch all offer them imme
diate membership and Jewish
educational opportunities.
One final “piece of the pie” is
their physical health. Upon
arrival here, the dental and
physical medical needs of these
Russians have been provided for
by the following doctors in our
community. They have donated
many hours of medical services
at no cost to the patients or the
Jewish community over the
period of the last 2'/^ years.
Sincere appreciation on behalf
of the entire Jewish community
is due to these and other pro
fessionals for the support and
services they have so generously
given:
Dentists
Joe Steiner & C.J. Treat
Randall Stewart & Michael
Danze
Scott Menaker
Scott Goodman
Mark Perlin
Larry Seitlin & Barry Marshall
Robert Widis
Harold Weisman
Physicians
Sandy Benjamin
Carl Eisenberg
Donald Russ
Mark Kirsch
Selwyn Spangenthal
Marvin Shapiro
Helen Melaragno
Paul Putterman
Barry Golembe
Arnold Snitz
Jim Linderman
Herbert Stein
Mark Wolozin
James Shearer
Gary Waldman
Stuart Wernicoff
Walter Schoen
R.L. Pixley
Pierre Martinbeau
Peter Katz
Trevor Goldberg
Joseph Estwanik
William Gruhn
Richard Kleinmann
Larry Berman
Donald Schumacher
James Touissant
Nalle Clinic
Laurel Eye Associates
Eye Care Clinic
Carolina Medical Associates
Mercy Hospital
Presbyterian Hospital
Calm has returned to Georgia,
but it is generally agreed that the
tension, now barely suppressed,
could erupt at any moment. In
the past 18 months the country
has experienced civil strife relat
ed to the leadership of the
country, secessionist conflict in
the autonomous regions of
South Ossetia and Abkhazia,
and an earthquake in Oni. Since
January of this year alone, 850
people have died as a result of
political conflicts.
The country, now led by
former USSR foreign minister
Eduard Shevardnadze, went to
the polls in its first democratic
election on October 11.
The Jewish Agency in Georgia
One of the first Jewish Agency
for Israel (JAFI) offices in the
former USSR was opened in
Tbilisi in February 1990. JAFI
enjoys special status at the
municipal level and is the only
non-municipal agency renting
space in City Hall; this status is
matched at the national level. In
fact, when the local OVIR (in
terior ministry) office was des
troyed during the events leading
to the overthrow of Gamsakhur-
dia, authorities allowed the
continuation of OVIR activities
out of JAFI offices there.
The Jewish Agency opera
tions in Georgia are centered in
the Tbilisi office, where a per
manent emissary is responsible
for coordinating all activities in
the former Soviet republic. With
the inauguration of direct flights
from Tbilisi in June 1992, the
emissary also assumed respon
sibility for all flight and ground
arrangements for olim from
Georgia.
Coordinating rescue opera
tions for the Jews of Georgia is
also a primary responsiblity of
the JAFI emissary in that coun
try. When Jews began to flee
Ossetia in early 1991, Emissary
Itzik Moshe organized a rescue
team to evacuate the Jews to
Tbilisi, find them shelter and
begin to process their aliyah to
Israel.
Soon after the events in Os
setia, an earthquake destroyed
the homes of hundreds of Geor
gian Jews. The JAFI emissary
again organized a relief opera
tion to bring these individuals to
safety and assist those who
wished to leave immediately for
Israel.
The same type of operation
rescued Jews from the battle
zone in Abkhazia when, at the
height of hostilities, a Jewish
Agency flight brought 175 refu
gees to Israel. This infrastructure
now exists to use whenever it
may be needed.
A JAFI Hebrew teacher from
Israel assists some 20 local
teachers to teach the Hebrew
language to thousands of Geor
gian Jews.
The Jews of Georgia — History
There are approximately
22,000 Jews in Georgia today,
and more than 40,000 in Israel;
most of those living in Israel
came during the 1970s, when
Soviet authorities first allowed
large numbers of Jews to leave.
However, Georgian Jews began
to settle in Israel as far back as
1863, and by 1920-21 the Israeli
Georgian community numbered
1,700. In the past two years,
3,500 Georgian Jews have left
for Israel and about 65 percent
of the Jews remaining in Georgia
hold family reunification papers.
There is considerable evidence
that Jewish settlement in Geor
gia has ancient origins. They are
mentioned in the writings of
Benjamin of Tudela (after 1160).
The Jews suffered prolonged
oppression under the Turks and
Persians from the 15th century
through the beginning of the
19th century, when Georgia
came under Russian rule.
Communities of European,
Ashkenazic Jews had already
been established in Georgia by
the end of the 19th century,
settling among the native Se-
phardic Jews. During World
War II, Georgia succeeded in
resisting the German invasion
and Ashkenazic Jews from Nazi-
occupied areas settled temporar
ily in Georgia. By 1959 the
census of the Jewish population
of Georgia listed the total as
51,582, with 36,745 speaking
Georgian (Sephardim) and the
remainder speaking Russian and
Yiddish (Ashkenazim).
Georgia — Genera!
Georgia, with a population of
more than four million, forms
a wedge at the eastern end of
the Black Sea, south of the main
range of the Caucasus Moun
tains. The land is primarily
mountainous and hilly, with
only 13 percent plains and
valleys. It has a wide range of
climates and flora and fauna,
and is rich in hydro-electric
power, metals and minerals.
Native Georgians comprise 64
percent of the population.
When the Soviet Republic of
Georgia was formed in 1936,
three autonomous regions wre
created; Abkhazia, with its
capital in Sukhumi bordering
See JEWS page 14
OOPS!
In last month’s issue, Gregory Barkan was identified as
Gregory Bunich. We are sorry for this error. Barkan is the
translator for the group that was featured. However, Bunich
as been the translator for driver applications for the Russians.
Classifieds Work
Call 366-5007 Ext. 268
Cotswold Mall
■i’e • ■
Radisson Plaza Shops