THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, June 28, 1996 TAG: 9606280042
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E11 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MICHELLE MIZAL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 52 lines
SOVIET JEWS have long faced persecution. During the 18th century, the time of the czars, Jews suffered heavy restrictions in Russia - sometimes paying higher taxes and other times restricted from rural areas. Jewish education suffered, too.
It was Nicholas I who established ``crown'' schools to teach Jewish children. The schools tried to convert Jewish students to Christianity instead of educating them about their own religious beliefs.
Mark Goldstein, executive vice president of the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, recalls many examples of Jews who were denied education in Russia.
``I know one gentleman who was a good pianist. He was not allowed to go into a gifted program because he was a Jew,'' he said.
It is because of religious persecution and a lack of educational opportunities that most Soviet Jews apply to come to the United States. The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society in New York City last year resettled more than 6,000 young refugees between birth and 20 years old. Last year, The Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society helped resettle more than 30 Soviet refugees in Hampton Roads - mostly small families seeking Jewish religious freedom and better education.
``The Russians say that they don't have children because there is no hope for the children in Russia,'' said Nancy Engel, assistant to the Soviet Jewish Resettlement Program of Jewish Family Service in Norfolk.
Soviet Jews can enter the United States as refugees or asylum seekers. Refugees apply to come to the states and are interviewed in their homeland by the American Embassy. Applicants can wait from a few weeks to months for an answer.
Asylum seekers come to the United States first and then ask for refugee status from immigration and wait from six months to four years for an answer.
After a year, refugees and asylum seekers can apply for a green card that allows them to stay in the country and work. After five years, they can become citizens by either taking a written test on basic American history and government or by going to the local Immigration and Naturalization Service for an interview. If the applicant passes the written test, INS will ask only 15 questions about things like personal plans and criminal record.
If a person doesn't take the written test or fails it, INS will ask U.S. history and government questions also. Some take classes to prepare for the tests, and two local resettlement organizations offer help.
Refugee and Immigration Service/The Catholic Diocese of Richmond, located in Norfolk, offers English tutoring, job placement and citizenship classes for people of all ages and religions. All teachers are volunteers. Except for a small charge for the citizenship class, all services are free.
Jewish Family Service, also in Norfolk, helps resettle Soviet Jewish refugees and asylum seekers. The program offers help in housing, health care, English classes, job placement and Jewish education. by CNB