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Family Is All That Matters 128 and Mikhail had two children: Era, born in Moscow, and Gitta, born in Chicago. Elena and Mikhail had wanted to come to the U.S. so Mikhail could obtain his PhD. Mikhail had developed a new alloy of steel for medical devices and was eager to commercialize it, but he had no career prospects in Russia. They applied for a visa in 1979 and were denied. The couple lived the lives of refuseniks for three years until they were allowed to leave for the United States in January of 1982. They arrived in New Jersey the next month. The stress associated with Elena's plan to move to the United States took a toll on her father's health; he did not want to leave Russia. Gregory fell ill and never recovered, dying near Moscow at age 61. "I no longer have a future," Inna thought. But then she thought about her son, Aleksander, and for his sake she regained her strength. In December of 1989, Inna and Aleksander were finally granted permission to Below: Inna and Elena in Sochy, 1956. Facing page: Inna in July of 2006. leave Russia. As is typical, they were given just three days to pack their belongings and leave the country. Inna, still heartbroken for her husband yet full of hope for her son, le Russia on December 29 for a new life in the United States of America. Aleksander went to Rome to wait for permission to come to the U.S. He carried a single suitcase with him. Inna thought she would follow her son to Rome within a few days, but it wasn't to be. Inna's journey to the U.S. was complicated by many factors. While still in Moscow, she had to brave long lines of people trying, like her, to leave Russia. During this process, one of her fingers became badly infected and she came down with necrosis, a life-threatening condition. She was hospitalized and her finger was amputated. Eventually, she received permission to leave Russia, but she would have to wait in Vienna, not Rome. Inna was further dismayed to learn that while waiting for his visa to the U.S., Aleksander had decided instead to go to Israel. He told his mother he just wanted to be among fellow Jews, to walk down city streets and see signs in Hebrew (which he could not read), and live in a state where Jews could be proud. Representatives of the state of Israel were in Rome to persuade educated young people to come to Israel. Sometimes the officials offered financial incentives for young Jews to make their lives there. Aleksander arrived in Israel in October of 1989, about the same time his mother le Russia. Aer many initial difficulties, Aleksander became a great Jewish patriot. When he arrived in Israel, he didn't know a single person or a word of Hebrew. He had very little money and for a while he was homeless, sleeping on park benches. One day, he went to see the chief rabbi of Jerusalem and asked for help. When the rabbi learned that Aleksander's grandfather was Shlomo Volsun, whose fame as a Jewish tzadik (wise man) was known throughout Israel, the rabbi offered to instruct him. Aleksander

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