Special Supplement to the JEWISH NEWS - - Section B
.
..taxig.-
46TH ANNUAL
ent ;
sur-
f the
that
no-
and
inant
,es—
nsus-
,
ri
the
-old
Alan E. Schwartz
The President Reports . ..
An annual report such as this is an op-
portunity to draw a check mark at a particular
point in the evolving life of a community. It is
a chance to note achievements, call attention
to those numerous individuals who work and
give throughout the year to make progress
possible, and to direct one's awareness to the
needs of the immediate, and of the more
distant, future.
The achievements of the Jewish Welfare
Federation at the end of its 46th year are
multitudinous. Thousands feel its influence
upon their lives daily as they take part in
educational 'and recreational programs,
/ benefit from the housing or health facilities in
the community, and avail themselves of
counsel when troubled by family life or ern-
- ployment problems.
A nebulous term when spoken of abstractly,
Federation is brought to more definite
meaning when it refers to the hundreds of
people who spend hours year-round, meeting
to plan, decide, and chart services for the
future. Federation is people: the people who
support it; those who benefit from its ser-
vices; the people who identify it and its
agencies as primary spokesmen and sources
of authority and service for the community.
ric
KY.
sh,
aft
les
ren
ee
i rd
!re
p al-
ner
vcr
a
,uld
use
zoo
all
his
nn
nd
nd
ick
lo-
of
ah.
igs
dr.
1."
, i.,,t-f- 4'6;
■
11%1
k r* L..
Likewise, our community agencies have
worked together in the past year urging the
right to emigrate for Soviet Jews and we have
seen the flow of these newcomers to Israel
increase to almost 2500 per month. Happy at
this unexpected turn of events, Federation
aims to do its share in helping to meet in-
creased burdens facing Israel as she seeks to
absorb almost 70,000 immigrants into the
country's social and economic life.
fre-
1 971
10.
vied
'ere
1
in the Munich tragedy, helping give ex-
pression and voice to Jews and non-Jews in
condemning murder and violence on innocent
people.
ered
).455
resh-
e red
most
ned
with
said
ica-
old
at
I
r ind
and
I to
who
Iltr
til, 7
off
tion
and
• as
out
eo-
rt".
j
OF THE
reo-
gen-
the
ted
at
ear
ler
ies
Ise
an
r;,..
Through this report in the JEWISH NEWS,
we pay tribute to many who labor for the
betterment of the community. We list ac-
complishments of the most recent year, some
of them the culmination of long years of
planning; others, initial efforts toward goals.
Drama and tragedy continue to be
associated with Jewish life, and the year
behind us is no exception to this observation.
We were witness to unprecedented uprooting
of Jewish communal life due to floods at
Wilkes-Barre Pa., and we were shaken by the
Munich episode and a ruthless reign of world-
wide terror that followed. Federation
responded to these developments in ways
intimately bound up with the continuity of
Jewish life. A plea for aid from Wilkes-Barre's
Jewish community brought an immediate
response of a gift of $85,000 from the resources
of the United Jewish Charities to aid in
restoring communal services and rebuilding
their Jewish institutions and schools. A case
worker from our Jewish Family and
Children's Service has been assigned on
"temporary loan" to that community to help
families still unable to return to their homes.
In conjunction with the Jewish Community
Council, Federation responded appropriately
•
Here in Detroit, this historic development
has an added impact as evidenced by our
welcome to two Soviet Jewish families
recently arrived in our community. Under the
leadership of the Resettlement Service,
agency services to these families were
coordinated to make possible their adjustment
to a new life. At least four more family units
are in preparation for settlement in Detroit
under the auspices of United HIAS Service in
Europe.
We long ago learned that we cannot predict
the locus of future crises, domestic or abroad.
We know only that they are sure to erupt and it
is equally certain that Jewish lifesaving op-
portunities will confront us again tomorrow. I
am positive that our Federation will respond
in keeping with our best traditions. Our
responsibilities will be met only to the extent
that we shall maintain ourselves as a strong
Jewish community, one prepared each day of
the year to meet the challenge of the unex-
pected.
As much as our attention last year was
captured by events overseas and our energies
dedicated to fulfilling our responsibilities to
the people in Israel, at the same time our
needs here at home have been under constant
review. Indeed, we can point-to significant
gains in providing our Jewish community with
improved services. Let me enumerate several
examples.
Under the auspices of the Fresh Air Society,
the Henry M. Butzel Older Adult Village and
Conference Center moved into its first full
season of operations, attracting a wide variety
of groups and providing for senior citizen
summer camping.
Federation Apartments enjoyed a suc-
cessful first year in providing independent
living to 200 senior citizens of modest income.
It drew imaginatively on volunteer and
agency resources in meeting needs of its
residents. In conjunction with the nearby Ten
Mile Branch of the Jewish Community Center,
residents were afforded opportunity to par-
ticipate in varied recreational programs.
The Fisher Patient Care Wing at Sinai
Hospital was placed into service this past year
and, of course, the Hospital's heart research
programs are now part of medical history.
Acquisition of the Prentis Manor facility in
Southfield enabled the Jewish Home for Aged
to replace some of the space lost in the phasing
out of its outlived buildings. Here and at
Borman Hall the Home provides high quality,
urgently needed care.
In the complex world of Jewish education,
our Education Division in conjunction with
United Hebrew Schools and Midrasha have
been engaged in detailed discussions as to the
future. Greater attention must be paid to ,
intensive programs in Jewish education at
various levels. An illustration of this direction
is our provision of seed money to help unfold a
formal program in Jewish Studies at the
University of Michigan. In Israel seven major
universities flourish, thousands of secondary
school students continue their education,
I
thousands more underprivileged children
receive pre-school training. All these
programs are helped by funding from
Federation.
Our report for the year would not be com-
plete without trumpeting the success of 1972's
Allied Jewish Campaign-Israel Emergency
Fund. Our ability to give continuing priority to
the needs of Israel, as she enters the silver
anniversary of her existence, while main-
taining and expanding our services here at
home, was accomplished by the splendid
leadership and success of the 1972 Campaign
which saw an unprecedented total of over S14
million pledged. To the leadership, the
workers, and to you who gave so that the drive
could raise more money than ever we say
thank you.
All these highly visible signposts of progress
are possible only because of the family of
services within our organized Jewish com-
munity. Less noticeable than our new
buildings and headlines are the daily ac-
complishments of case workers at our
agencies, the professionals in our medical
facilities, the counselors at our camps, the
group workers at our Center, our school
teachers. Their efforts bring about the small
personal achievements for individuals and
families upon which communal progress is
based.
The organized community itself is the
foundation of these endeavors. Our history
extends back beyond the first Detroit efforts
at organization near the turn of the centruy to
the home countries of our parents where the
tradition of caring for all Jews in need
prevailed. Upon the foundation of that history
is a commitment to responsibility and sound
planning by dedicated lay leaders and
professionals experienced in communal
service. Our community continues its
progress with our Jcwish tradition of hope in
the future, and rededication to our com-
mitments.
There are countless things about Federation
which could not be mentioned in this brief
report. An expression of appreciation for the
d-dicated service of the people listed and
pictured upon the pages of this report is
inadequate when compared with the time
spent and the deeds accomplished. This can be
only a cursory look at the full range of
Federation and its activities.
We hope that you will note the names and
faces of those men and women inside who
have devoted time during the year toward
community progress. There are many more
who have also contributed in some measure.
To all goes Federation's deep and sincere
appreciation.
YYYTYY1
t`Allied Jewish C
This report was prepared for the annual meeting of the Jewish Welfare Federation Wednesday, October 11. 1972
1M.
(1/ Ca ol •
: