European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 28, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse Cover Story lev and Marina Furman in 1987 in Russia where she says the problem was How to survive. In Israel the problem is How to live which Winto refuseniks no More from the cover plus a grandmother and Grandfather left the soviet Union through doors opened by the reforms of for Mer president Mikhail Gorbachev. Now the furans Are buying an apartment in a downtown that s As Well appointed almost precious As Santa Barbara. So Many people there speak English they sometimes Call it a Ananna California. It s within a few minutes of the warm Mediterranean beaches and a Long Way from the Kab. It s so comfortable and so different from the life of a refuseniks that lev Furman often feels a Little bit at Loose ends. What am i going to do now he wonders. Furman remembers his family s emotional night time arrival in Israel. It was May 14, Israel s Independence Day and the aircraft descended through a fireworks Celebration Over Tel Aviv. The flight to Israel was the culmination of 14 years of struggle for lev and 11 years for Marina. During that ordeal lev lost his right .0 work in his chosen profession radio engineering and occasionally lost his Freedom. Marina barely escaped death when she delivered Aliya under the care of indifferent and absent physicians and then miscarried a second child Afier she and Aliya were roughed up and arrested by the Kab. That was All behind them As they sailed Home free through the Flash and bang of rockets and roman candles a noisy grand finale to their exodus. We All cried recalled lev Furman. And then they came Down to Earth and began learning a new life and in the course of that under Aliya Furman after her Disney whirls. Is Bob Kjosa standing what they lost when they left the old life. It was a Beautiful dream but we were exhausted said Marina Furman. It s like dreaming about your Prince and the wed Ding. Then comes reality and More dishes she said. And my Mother and lev s father got along As Good As sex president Bush and Saddam Hussein. The first year was a jews from the former soviet Union represent is Rael s largest minority. Nearly 500,000 soviet jews have migrated to Israel since Gorbachev opened the door a crack in 1988 and then completely in 1989. Despite their numbers they Are still newcomers to a strange new land where they have to learn a new Lan Guage and begin a new life. Israel is a very Small country. The first problem is the absence of jobs and then the Price of apartments. It s a very bad situation said Marina Furman. The furans were better off than most. Marina was fluent in English and lev knew and taught he brew. So Between them they could get along. But it was still difficult. At first it was terrible. I thought i would lose my mind she said. Then after four months you learn hebrew and you begin to think what a Beautiful country. And then when lev got a Job and i got a Job we started seeing a different Israel. It was More difficult than we thought it would be but there Are no judging by appearances alone the furans redoing Well. In Leningrad the couple were lean and drawn from the stress of confronting the soviet govern ment. They be relaxed and gained weight in Israel. Marina Furman s thick red hair pulled Back and severe when she was facing Down the Kab is now wild and free. Freedom in Israel has allowed her to introduce fashion into her life. In Leningrad now St. Petersburg the furans shared a two room apartment with lev s father and occasionally with any other refuseniks needing a Tern Horary roof. Now they have a four room apartment to themselves and room to spare for guests. In Leningrad they crimped along on the Small salary lev received for running the boiler room of a Public Bath. Now Marina works full time As an assist ant to a Ananna s mayor on immigration issues. Until recently lev had a Job with the local Tele phone company. In Leningrad they took the subway and buses. I Israel they own a Toyota Sedan. After years of being denied Freedom of travel the couple and Aliya have visited the United states As speaking ambassadors for the United jewish Appeal. Aliya has been to Disney world five times said Page 4 sunday february 28, 1993
