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If you have never heard of Belarus, Belarus is a former USSR territory
that gained independence in the early 1990s and borders five countries:
Latvia to the north, Lithuania to the northwest, Poland to the west, Russia to
the north and the east, and Ukraine to the south. Belarus actually means “White
Russia” but is not connected to the American “White Russian” drink. Many Belaru-
sians emigrated to the United States after World War 1 and World War II and now
speak Belarusian, Russian and American English.
This article focuses on a few of Balarus’s contributions to our lifestyle, business,
and culture. For example, did you know?
Significant populations of Belarusian Americans live in
New York, New Jersey, Cleveland, Chicago, Los Ange-
les, and Detroit, according to https://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/Belarusian_Americans. Although this article high-
lights a few topics, please refer to this site for more infor-
mation about Belarus.
1. What are some of Belarus’s contributions
to trade and business?
• The Belarusian Embassy that officially represents
the Belarusian Government in the United States
has an office in Washington, D.C.
• The Consulate of Republic of Belarus, that pro-
vides diplomatic representation of Belarus, has an
office in Houston. Visas applications are processed
here for those wishing to visit Belarus.
• Travel to Belarus offers opportunities to enjoy the
culture and learn about its history.
2. What are some of the Belarusian
contributions to lifestyle in the U.S?
Although there are many notable Americans with
Belarusian roots, below are a two you may recognize.
• Harrison Ford’s maternal grandparents were Jew-
ish immigrants from Minsk, Belarus. Harrison
Ford gained worldwide fame for his starring roles
in the Star Wars and Indiana Jones film series. His
career as an actor and movie producer spans six
decades. Harrison Ford is now the highest-grossing
actor in U.S. box office history” (according to ar-
ticle by Will Robinson in Entertainment Weekly.
January 8, 2016). Ford received an Academy Award
for “Best Actor” for Witness, three additional Best
Actor Golden Globe nominations, and the Ce-
cil B. DeMille Award at the 2002 Golden Globe
Awards. (For more information, go to https://
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harrison_Ford.)
• Kirk Douglas, whose parents were Jewish immi-
grants from a region in present-day Belarus, is an
American actor, producer, director, author, and
philantropist. He became a leading box-office star
throughout the 1950s and 1960s. He received three
Academy Award nominations and an Oscar for
Lifetime Achievement, and the Presidential Medal
of Freedom. (Taken from https://en.wikipedia.
org/wiki/Kirk_Douglas.)
3. What are some of the Belarusian
contributions to American culture?
• Belarusian Americans predominantly practice Or-
thodoxy, Roman Catholicism and Judaism reli-
gions.
• St. Euphrosynia Belarusian Orthodox Church was
created in South River, New Jersey in the 1950s.
• The Belarusan American Association and other
organizations teach the language, culture, and re-
ligious traditions of Belarus and represent the cul-
ture in choirs, theatrical groups, and musical and
dance ensembles.
• Belarusian cuisine has Russian influence and in-
cludes even more dishes that have potatoes that
Irish cuisine. Belarusian vodka is the popular drink.
This month, we celebrate with appreciation the many
contributions of our Belarusian American community.
The Rothschild Corporation is experienced in facili-
tating meetings, change management, team building
workshops, consulting and soft skills training to help
organizations maximize teamwork and effective com-
munications. They listen to your needs to focus the out-
comes on your target goals.
Susanne Rothschild, MBA, PMP
President, The Rothschild Corporation
iF Magazine | www.iFMagazine.net
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