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In assembling the display, the center mailed hundreds of letters to the Russian Jewish community on the Peninsula asking for pictures, documents, memorabilia, anything that relates to immigration from Russia.

"It is our desire to bring together our newest immigrants with those who are descendants of the earliest Jewish immigrants from Russia to this country," the letter read.

Rita Friedman, fair chairwoman, received 60 or 70 responses from people who have "immigration papers, citizenship papers, passports, samovars handed down, dolls."

One woman in Alameda responded that her great-great-grandfather was one of the founders of the Woodbine agricultural communities in the mid-1800s in New Jersey. These kibbutz-like compounds were settled by Zionist Jews who came from shtetls of Russia.

The woman, Marjory Selzer, gave Friedman photocopies of New York Times articles written about her great-great-grandfather in the 1930s.

Another woman promised to bring in her great-grandmother's silver candlesticks and fork and spoon brought from Uzdah in 1912.

Masha Farber, who works at ALSJCC, will contribute trunks belonging to her grandmother, which Farber herself carried over from St. Petersburg when she immigrated five years ago.

The center will supplement those items with others borrowed from Berkeley's Judah L. Magnes Museum.

"There are very interesting parallels between current immigration and immigration of the early 20th century," said Boris Vladimirsky, ALJCC emigre department director.

"We found a handbook for citizenship preparation, published in 1923 in San Francisco," he said. "We found a sheet of paper, drills of one woman who came from Russia."

On the paper, she wrote: "I live in the United States. I work hard," said Vladimirsky. "It's amazing and very touching."

The fair will be preceded by a number of events. At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 7, Friedman will host a talk show on "Prelude to the Fair: Tracing Our Russian Ancestry." Six or seven people will tell the stories of their parents and grandparents who immigrated.

"We wanted to do something that would put the positive spin on immigration," noted Friedman. That's why the fair, previously known as the Russian Fair, is this year being named the Russian-American Fair.

Vladimirsky, formerly a theater and movie critic in Russia, will lead a pre-fair film series on various portrayals of Leo Tolstoy's novel "Anna Karenina."

He will screen film clips starring Greta Garbo, Vivien Leigh, Jacqueline Bisset and Bolshoi Ballet soloist Maya Plisetskaya. The series will take place at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 3.

New at the fair this year, is an exhibit by the Jewish Genealogical Society Palo Alto branch titled "Tracing Your Ancestors: Find Your Cousin."

The exhibit will display the stories of people who successfully found their lost relatives, presenting materials on how others can do it.

"Each visitor will be able to take a first lesson in building a family tree," said Vladimirsky.

In another exhibit titled the Wall of Names, descendants of the earliest Jewish immigrants who came from Russia will be honored.

One hundred fifty celebrities that have Russian origins — such as Gershwin, David Copperfield and Samuel Goldwyn — will be posted there.

"Each visitor at the fair of Russian origin can add his or her name," Vladimirsky added.

The day before the fair, the Center's Koret Art Gallery will mount an exhibit titled "Russian Colors in the American Spectrum: Arts and Crafts," against a backdrop provided by Opera San Jose.

The sets, used in the opera "Eugene Onegin," reflect the grandeur of a count's ballroom and also part of a Russian home. The scene will further be embellished by colorful costumes, reflecting a period in the early 1800s.

Paintings, drawings, lithographs and posters by Jack Levine, Ben Shahn, Chaim Gross, Rafael Soyer and other artists will be on display and for sale, including color photographs taken with mirrors by Svetlana Ivanova.

Items for sale will include amber and silver candlesticks and Faberge-style jewelry.

The exhibit will open at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 7 with a concert of Russian and American music, and continue through July 13.

A fashion show of wearable art in silk by Natasha Fouko also will take place at 3 p.m. Sunday, June 8.

Other fair highlights include a performance by young gymnasts from Shcherba School, a magic show by Alex Kravchinsky, a chess tournament, acrobatics by Acrosport, Alex Zeiliger performing a concert of Russian opera arias and love songs, accordion music by Vladimir Prilipko, a jazz concert by Viktor Ryvkin, plus carnival games, food booths, strolling musicians and a Gypsy fortune teller.

In the borscht contest, cooks will submit four quarts of soup for a panel of judges to sample. Judges will include Linda Lau Anusasananan of Sunset magazine; Leda Voropaeff, author of "Russian-American Feasts"; Mark Khasin, owner of Cupertino cafe Taste of Russia; Rosalie Sogolow, author of "Memories from a Russian Kitchen"; and Tatyana Zubkov, sales manager of Euromart, a Russian store in Palo Alto. Prizes will be awarded for winning entries.

Palo Alto Mayor Joseph H. Huber will speak at a noon ceremony.

For the finale Sunday night, Masha Itkina, a former Russian film actress and singer now living in the United States, will present a concert. Itkina, who was brought to the United States by actor Tony Randall, has been compared to Barbra Streisand. Her repertoire includes songs of former Soviet prisoners.

And at 7 p.m. Sunday, after the close of the fair, the Golden Stars Russian Theater from Moscow will make its West Coast debut with a musical production of "Tum Balalaika."

The Golden Stars have previously performed renditions of Yiddish, English and Russian songs and dances throughout the world. Tickets are $15 to $18.

Fair admission is $3 for seniors and children, $5 for adults. Proceeds support English language study and provide scholarships for children. For information, call (415) 493-9400.