Schwartz had been to Russia once before, in 1986. She visited China then, too, with a delegation of American mental health counselors, to investigate how those countries treated their elderly populations. But this was the first time she visited a Jewish community there. We're bringing such wonderful services to the Russian Jews. They don't know how to be Jewish.
More help is on the way.
The money donated by Schwartz was not the end of the Bay Area's generosity. When he returned from the mission, Herman Rosenbaum, chair of Beth Torah's social action committee, gave a talk to the congregation about what he had seen. Now that there is the space for it, Beth Torah agreed to fund audio-visual equipment for the new library and classroom so their Russian partners can have access to Jewish music and films. Beth Torah gave last year to furnish the synagogue. Pnina Levermore, executive director of the Bay Area Council, said the effect this relationship has had on the Jews of Borovichi becomes more evident with each visit.