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Correspondence

March 26, 1976

Letter to Philip Soskis about NYANA and Funding Seder for Russian Jews (1976)

Soviet Jewry
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Correspondence

Letter about NYANA and the Integration of Soviet Jewry (1974)

Dear Mr. Farber: Thank you very much for sending me the minutes of our January 24th meeting. Mr. Pruzan has also given me a detailed report of Mr. Goldman’s and his meeting with you and Mr. Schwarzschild on January 26th in our office. I regret that other commitments did not permit me to participate in that meeting. I do hope that our various discussions will lead to our finding effective ways of helping the newly arrived Jewish immigrants from Russia.Let me comment on some of the questions which arose at our meetings:**The question of supplying the volunteers with lists of newly arrived immigrants:**I reviewed this question further. I can only inform you that it is essential for NYANA to adhere to its basic policy of not providing such lists to any community group. As I tried to explain at our January 24th meeting, this is based on the confidential nature of our relationship with our clients and on well-tested and tried experience over many years in many different types of situations. We do not believe, however, that our policy needs to hinder the services the volunteers wish to provide.**The question of conducting English sessions:**We will be glad to inform the newly arrived immigrants of any sessions—place, time, etc.—your group may plan to hold. We will be pleased to supply a room at one of the hotels if you wish to conduct them there. I am sure that you will be pleased to learn that since August 21, 1973, we have placed about 230 Russian clients in various schools where they receive intensive English instruction.**The question of assisting NYANA with finding jobs for the Russian immigrants:**This type of service is extremely important, first and foremost for the immigrants, and then to help NYANA with its entire program. We are doing everything possible to interview the newly arrived immigrants as quickly as possible to determine their employment background, educational objectives, and to try to place them in jobs. As we explained at our meeting, not all immig…
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Correspondence

Letter about NYANA (1974)

Dear [redacted], I read with interest your letter to Mr. E. I. Farber. I do not believe anything at all will be gained by your talking to Mr. Schwartzchild personally, if what you have in mind is mollifying him because NYANA did not choose to employ him. Quite frankly, it was my idea and initiative to begin with, and Mr. Schwartzchild was most reluctant even to allow me to proceed, let alone to agree in advance to such employment. Understandably, he could not conceivably enter into such a relationship at the present time.I wish to reiterate what I said to you during our lengthy telephone conversation. NYANA has failed and is failing to make sufficient use of volunteers. I recognize full well the problems inherent in professional-volunteer relationships, and yet I cannot believe either on moral or professional grounds that volunteers should be discouraged or that professional workers are beyond criticism.I trust that you take these words, as well as the telephone conversation I previously alluded to, in the spirit in which I intend it. The Russian emigration represents the first major influx of Jewish immigrants to this country in a long time, and it is in their interest alone that I have encouraged volunteers and begun these discussions with you.Cordially,RABBI NORMAN LAMM
Soviet Jewry

Correspondence

Letter from Glenn Richter to Philip Soskis with Suggestions for NYANA to Facilitate Soviet Jewry Integration (1974)

Dear Mr. Soskis: I’m glad we were able to meet, exchange ideas and find out more deeply about NYANA’s work. Based on yesterday’s discussion and our growing work with the increasing number of community-based groups helping Russian Jewish immigrants, I’d like to put down in writing what we perceive to be some of the needs of Russian Jews in New York. A. English. Although it is true that a good number of Russian Jews would rather find a job than learn English when they arrive, NYANA should explain to them that proficiency in English leads to better jobs and that such an opportunity to learn English without having to work at the same time will probably not exist again for them. Private language instruction, cheaper than the public school type, seems much superior (smaller classes, more keyed to need to know technical language) should be made available to all who ask, even to those who have first tried a public school course and found it wanting. (Here you can involve volunteers who are needed to help immigrants practice English once a basic knowledge of the language is acquired. Volunteers don’t know the language well?, both by personal meetings and by three or four in a single phone call. The latter would give an enormous opportunity for a shut-in, older person or one too far away from the Russian family centers such as Brighton Beach, Forest Hills, etc.) B. Jobs. The vocational department of NYANA should be reorganized, with an emphasis on enlisting, publicly, the aid of the Jewish community to help meet the employment needs of Russian Jews. (As a result of the other needs for training, NYANA cannot simply put them in jobs like stock room or factory jobs; professionals, musicians and many, many others cannot find employment unless NYANA Employers can “put in” and help NYANA become a real vocational agency. What is needed is a public announcement through the Federation Employment Service and Jewish Family Service that professional jobs for Russian Jews exist.) C. Hous…
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