FOCUS ON ISSUES Russian youth seen as source of future emigration to Israel

MOSCOW, June 30 (JTA) — It was easy for the Jewish Agency for Israel to operate in the former Soviet Union five years ago. With the freedom to emigrate a fresh reality and the threat of anti-Semitism, Jews were leaving in big numbers — and most of them were going to Israel. Today, however, with Jewish emigration from Russia and most of the other post-Soviet states on the decline, the Jewish Agency has a tougher job on its hands. A few years ago, “we could just put a stand with Israeli symbols on display and people had no further questions,” says Chaim Chesler, former head of the Jewish Agency’s operation in the former Soviet Union. “Now people want to get as much information as they can before they make a decision.” Since 1989, the Jewish Agency has brought almost 700,000 new immigrants from Russia and neighboring countries to Israel. Between 1995 and 1996, however, aliyah to Israel from the former Soviet Union declined by 15 percent, according to agency statistics. The agency assumes that in 1997 there will be an additional 25 percent decrease. “Aliyah is declining,” said Charles Goodman, the chairman of the Jewish Agency’s Board of Governors, because “those who had wanted to come the most have come already.” “There are many people who feel they have real opportunities in Russia, where life seems to be better than it was.” Goodman visited Moscow last week as a part of a group of 500 delegates that traveled to six destinations in the former Soviet Union en route to the annual Jewish Agency Assembly in Jerusalem. Despite the decline in aliyah, the Jewish Agency maintains an extensive network of programs in the former Soviet Union. “We continue to bring large numbers. The biggest part of the aliyah to Israel is from the former Soviet Union. So [the former Soviet Union] is the major focus of the Jewish Agency,” said Goodman, adding that aliyah from the region is a “major focus” of the agency. In addition to running about 300 Hebrew-language courses and 80 summer camps for 12,000 Jewish teen-agers, and operating direct flights from 23 cities to Israel, the agency has been active in promoting new educational and employment programs for young adults in the former Soviet Union. “Our main work is concentrated now among the youngsters,” said Chesler. “We believe that once the younger generation comes to Israel, their parents will follow.” Major programs that recruit young people for resettling in Israel include: * Selah, or Students Without Parents — a 12-month university preparatory program for high school graduates. Four hundred students from the former Soviet Union are currently in Israel on this program. * Chalom, or Dream — a 15-month vocational training program. By the end of this year, 1,000 young Jews from Russia and Ukraine will be receiving professional training in Israel in fields such as electricity, automobile mechanics and drafting. * Na’aleh-16 — a high school study program. At present, there are 3,500 participants from the region in this program. About 2,000 have already graduated from high schools in Israel. Another 3,000 will join the program in September. Said the mother of an 18-year-old son from the Siberian city of Irkutsk who went to live and study in high school in Israel two years ago: “The economic future seems to be uncertain, the crime in the [Russian] army has skyrocketed. “I cannot describe how hard it was for me to part with my only son, but I feel this is the best solution for our kids.” Similar to Israel, military duty — for two or three years — is obligatory for young men in Russia. The demand for such programs is much higher in provincial Russia, where the economic situation is more difficult, than in Russia’s biggest cities. In Moscow, the decrease in aliyah was 17 percent, and in St. Petersburg 9 percent. In the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk, however, the rate rose 160 percent; in Ekaterinburg, located in the Ural Mountains, 38 percent. According to one agency official, there are two things that prevent many Russian Jews from emigrating to Israel — employment and housing problems. “If you have a job, all other problems could be solved,” said Michaela Glasman, head of Moscow office of the agency’s Repatriation and Absorption Department. To meet the demand for information about job opportunities in Israel, the Jewish Agency held its first job fair in Moscow last week. Over 800 Jews from the Moscow area — ranging from college students to pensioners — attended the two-day fair to find out about employment and retraining opportunities offered by the Israeli Labor Ministry and employers, including hospitals, hotels, construction and high-tech companies. “I wanted to find a job that would correspond more or less to my education,” said Alexander, a 28-year-old electrical engineer from a small town near Moscow. “I just found retraining courses for me in Israel. Now I know I can find a decent job there.” Unlike earlier immigrants, Jews living in the former Soviet Union now can get direct information about life in Israel from friends and relatives already residing there. Many of those who are considering emigrating have been to Israel themselves. “People know exactly what they want. They can get information not only from our emissaries but also from relatives, ex-neighbors, ex-classmates,” Chesler said. “If the majority of those who recently went to Israel succeed, their success would be reflected back in Russia.”