Thursday, August20; 1992--THE BULLETIN — 3
Doors coiildbe^^^ parents of HnMg^r^^^^^
By ETHAN MINOVITZ
If proposed changes to the federal Immigration Act go into effect, Ita Tpokcher's parents and grandmother won't be able to emigrate to "Canada from the Ukrainijan city of Kiev.
"It*s impossible for them to do it (on their own],-' she told The Bulletin ihrough a translator, 13-year-old Kos-tya Polyakov, a family friend. "Even if they could apply, they couldn-t afford the tickets."
Under proposed aniend-ments to legislation announced last month by Immigration Minister Bernard Valcourt, the definition of "family" iii the ministry's family reunification program would extend only to the spouse and dependent children — not parents or grandparents.
VALCOURT
In a recent news confe;r-ehce attended by The Bulletin^ Valcourt announced that he expects Parliament will give Bill C-86 third reading by next month, and the amendments will be in full force by January.
"The definition of a family in this hemisphere is Mom, Dad and the kids. That's the Canadian way. We have to develop the Canadian way of life," Valcourt told members of the B.C. Ethnic Press Association at Robson Square.
"We're not turning our back on the parents arid grandparents. We will allow them in, but on a first-come, first-served basi^."
iBiit for Jews — just as for others from the former Soviet Union married couples consider their parents a part of the fattiily.'
Ifa; 31 ,<:ame to Ckhada in April and hopes to bring over her father, Joseph, a 55-y ear-old. can s|i^ti^ designer, ^ritl motlier-, Alia, 52, an economist jn the post office. * Matertva 1' '^fand-mother Zina . Dimerskaya, 78, is also in Kiev, living 100 kilometres from Chernobyl.
'■The anti-Semitism is;
"very greats and the political situation could change at any time," translated Polyakov, explaining why Took-cher's family wants to leave. "And there's much radiation [from Chernobyl]; people are very ill, and they can't have [the local] food."
Tookcher and her husband Ladislav, an automobile mechanic, have received art application to sponsor her parents. However, the costs of emigration — at least in Russia — are staggering.
: "Salaries are very low. For example, a kilogram of strawberries costs half a month's salary for an engineer," said Polyakov.
Tookcher said that the announced Immigration Act amendments came as a complete surprise to her family.
Ladislav Tookcher and his sister Svetlarta Kaba-novsky, a mechanical engineer, are also trying to bring their retired parents, Anne and Arkady Tookcher, to Canada. Svetlana and her husband Valery Kaban-ovsky, a construction designer, also hope that Val-ery's retired father Joseph can come to Canada, too, one day.
Meanwhile, the news of the proposed legislation also surprised the chairman of the Russian division of the Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver. --iBeJla Berezin hadn't heard that sponsoring parents for family reunification might be out.
"I thought that category was pretty safe to apply for," said Berezin, who came to Canada 17 years ago from Leningrad. "I was speaking with a lady from the immigration office in early spring, and I can't remember hearing her say anything about it."
. Berezin brought her own mother, Golda Frunison, to Canada three years ago, but isn't sure if she did so under the fami 1 y reunificatiOn program. "You just apply, and you show them how much you earn and wha-^ tever. I don't know if there, are labels," she said. ? Proposed Immigration Act measures' also include, ^efingerprintingof refugee; applicants; the inti-oduction; of three ; ^management; streams" for selecting immigrants; and a "tnobility pro-: vision,'' re q u i r i ri g s o m e immigrants to live and work • in a specific region for a limited
G^ampaign '92
GJA funds based on community support
Crowii appeals Keegstra case
TORONTO
The
Grown has filed an appeal seeking, a stronger sentence against former Eckville, Alta. high-school teacher Jim Keegstra.
Last month, Keegstra was fined $3,000 after a jury found him guilty of wilfully promoting hatred against
Jews. The Alberta attorney-genera I's department filed a notice of appeal in Calgary, Canadian Press reported.
Keegstra has already filed an appeal of his conviction, cit ing cons t i t u tibnal grounds. He acted as his own lawyer during the four-month
By ARIELA FRIEDMANN
If the Federation Combined Jewish Appeal was granted its wish this year, it would come in the form of $5 million. '
But that'sj ust thetargeted wish.
The reality of fund allocations to campaign beneficiaries is based on $4.1 million, the amount raised last year.    ■ ■. y-■    \'v'-
The annual Federation Combined Jewish Appeal, which runs Sept. 15 to Dec. 15, is the majorfundraising campaign in the community.
Percentages of the overall amount raised are distributed to Israel — overseas, nationally and to support 20 local agencies and pro-granis. ■ ,
According to Rosalind Karby, acting campaign director, this year's funding distribution, based on an allocation base of $4.1 million, is as follows:
" — $390,432 goes towards the national CJA budget, Canadian Jewish Congress, and to pay dues to the Council of Jewish Federations.
— $716,820 goes for the overall Pacific Region Federation budget for operating costsin the course of a year, for such things as CJA, le ad ership develop men t, long-range planning, budget and allocations, community planning and development, and the Federation magazine.
— $56,700 for a one time, emergency contingency fund.
— $200,000 for special projects in the community such as Jewish Family Service Agency's New Connect tions and the Jewish Com-munity Centre'^ Shalom" Vancouver.
— $2.6  million  is the
KARBY: "Federation gives out what It gets in."
beneficiaries. This is based   able to deliver," she stressed on a 60/40 percent split,   to The Bulletin. This means that approxi- Xhe
amount to be split between Israel-overseas and local
RICHMOND
From Page 1
The facility has a lounge, reception area, classroom, kitchen and mufti-purpose room.
Muskat, a Temple Sho-lom member, said it was "a fluke" that he ended up in his present job. "Someone asked my wife if she knew anyone who would be interested in the position, so i applied," he recounted. "I was pleased to be chosen! because, it's really a chair lenge ^ an opportunity to build a community from scratch." '
A Toronto native, Mus-kat was assistant youth director at Beth Tzedec synagogue while completing Jewish day school studies. He later directed summer programs for special needs teens at Camp Ramah in New York.
After completing his PhD in cHhical psychology at the University of Toronto in 1987, he moyed to Vancouver where he established a consulting practice, assisting Companies in financial management and fundrais-
ing.    ■^0
He also acts and writes in his spare time — ^'When I have any!': jie said jokingly.
The" program coordinator is assisted by branch committee co-chairs Monte Glanzberg and Linda Glasner and by members Morris Harowitz and Shael Smith (all JCe hoard members). Other committee members are Karen Cohen, Gail Hur\vitz, Marty Nixon and Dana Schwartz. ; >^
"They have, been helpful, and the corrimunity has been ^very supportive," he told ■ JWB. "We have already received unsolieited do^na-tions of furniture, a fridge and stove and books." Also needed at the branch are a fax machine, a computer, filing cabinets, lamps, toys and games, he said.
Muskat lives in Richmond with his wife Linda, an interior designer, who will be doing some Of the
fund raising for the branch's fall program. They have two children, Chris, 14, and Geoff, 18,
The Richmond Branch open house will be held Sunday, Sept. 13, 12-5 p.m. Call 279-9190 for more information.
mately $ 1.6 million goes to Israel-overseas and $1 million goes for local bene-iciaries.
"Are we giving local agencies what they asked for? The answer is no. Are we giving them enough to survive?; , Yes. Are we giving them enough to provide all the services? Probably riot." ^ That's the realistic picture Karby paints as last year's campaign fell approximately $900,000 short Of its overall
"Are the agencies getting what they need? The agencies are getting what we are
;acting campaign director explained that it is up to the community here to help fund the local agencies.
"We fund what the com^ munity gives us," she explained. "If the community falls short in what it gives us, then we fall short. Federation has no independent pot. It gives out what it gets in.''
A kickoff for this year's campaign is slated for Sept. 22. Super Sunday will be held Nov. 1. Those wishing to help out or donate can call the Federation office at 266-8371.
."-•.•••-•.•.•.•.va*.
(Single Supplement $420.00) (Single Supplemeht
FOREST IN ISRAEL
FEBRUABY17
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