American Joint Distribution Committee renders all kind of support to Heseds in Kazakhstan. Under its support and sponsor financing, all charity programs work. On November 24th, under Joint recommendation, our Jewish Community was visited by American Rabbi Burton Visotzky with spouse Sandra. The couple came to Almaty on a private visit to their son who works here. These remarkable people found time in their busy schedule to see how Kazakhstani Jews live. The couple was met by Alexander Baron, President of Mitsva Association.

The guests came to the Day Center of Hesed Polina. This is a club for elderly people, which includes socializing, learning about intellectual novelties, handy crafting, and good lunch. Childhood and young years of these people were during the war. The guests’ visit was a great joy to everybody. It was Tuesday. The Rabbi asked if it was a Tuesday Group. Everybody nodded and smiled. The women were saying: "The Day Center is our warm home! We love to spend time here!" The guests spent about an hour at the Day Center and were interested in everything. They asked, "Do you speak Hebrew?", "Are you getting ready to Hanukah?" (when they saw a small hanukia on the shelf), "Are there Ashkenazi and Sephardi here? Looking at you I cannot say at once who your ancestors were." The women were pleased to answer the questions and asked their questions in return. They found out that the Rabbi wrote a book about Jewish life and that he has many friends all over the world, his wife Sandra is a lawyer, she has been doing volunteering work for many years. Every Day Care visitor told her family story. The guests were surprised to learn that most of the women were evacuated to Kazakhstan during the war and stayed here. At the end of the meeting, Rabbi Visotzky said, "We have traveled all over the world. It is wonderful to meet with you. Sandra’s father is from St. Petersburg, her mom is from Kiev. My relatives are from Minsk and Pinsk. We have common roots with you".

Later, the Rabbi and his spouse were introduced to Hesed clients. They were accompanied by the Director of Home Care Service Valentina Sokolkova. The visits were made to people living close to each other to save time on traffic.

The first visit was to Dina Efimovna Sinitskaya. A small dilapidated house located in the district which has long been planned for demolition. It does not make sense to repair the house, and it is frightening to live in it with a sagging ceiling. Dina Efimovna has been working as a teacher of chemistry for her whole life. Burton Visotzky joked that he owes his teacher of chemistry that he became a rabbi. He was not able to pass a chemistry exam, and became a rabbi. Everybody laughed. Dina Efimovna told the guests about her life, her coming to the Jewish community, that she is taken good care of, she lives alone and cannot do without help. The house and its hostess need care, thank you Joint for the help.

The next visit was to Boris Solomonovich Abramovich and Yevgeniya Ivanovna Vasilkova. When Boris Solomonovich found out that Rabbi’s last name is Visotzky, he recollected his meeting with Vladimir Visotzky. The guest then noted that he has common roots with the famous singer-songwriter and actor. Talking to the guests, Boris Solomonovich learned that Sandra’s father participated in the World War II and asked to send his greetings from a soldier to soldier. He also signed his own book about the war and asked to pass it to Sandra’s father. The book cover page contained Boris Solomonovich’s photo in his service coat with orders and medals. The rabbi said, "In Moscow in Arbat, in the 90s, people were selling war medals. Are you proud of your medals?" Boris Solomonovich put on his service coat, "I went through the war, I fought for my orders and medals and I my proud of that." Regardless of relevant wellbeing - a good apartment, son who lives in the same city - the rabbi noted that these people need help. It is hard for Yevgeniya Ivanovna to take care of her husband.

The third visit was to the Polyaks family. Ten years ago Naum Iosifovich fell down and broke his hip. He was lying down in bed for several years. Fira Yakovlevna took care of him and enabled him to walk again. Now he can move around the apartment with the help of crotches. The hostess is a very charming woman. A real woman is beautiful at any age. Burton Visotzky told the Polyaks about Sandra’s father (he is the eldest in the family), how they visit him and take care of him. Naum Iosifovich and Fira Yakovlevna told about their grandchildren, Hesed’s care. The hostess showed numerous pictures. Warmth and comfort of this home could not hide the fact that these people also need help. Fira Yakovlevna is sick, and Naum Iosifovich is helpless without her.

The visits to clients took more time than the Home Care Program Director expected. Visotzkys came back to Mitsva and Alexander Baron invited them to have a kosher lunch. Then the guests toured the Jewish Community Center Rimon. At that time the Retro Club 7.40 worked in the large room, in the smaller room there was a children’s group, in the computer class - young people, and only in the Hebrew room was quiet because the class was over.

It was a great pleasure for us to meet these wonderful people. During the visits to Hesed clients, they found kind words of support for everybody. Burton and Sandra are real Jews. The book about Jewish life written by the rabbi has been published in Hebrew and Russian. Burton Visotzky said that he would surely send a copy of the book to our Community.

Lyudmila Starodubova