THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, March 1, 1985 41
0
D
Israel this has got to be more than a
one-way street. You're not going to
solve everything just by pledging to
the UJA. There's nobody more in-
volved in fundraising than I am, but
that's not the only thing we can do."
The opening of a local branch of
the American-Israel Chamber, while
somewhat late as compared to other
Midwestern cities with sizable Jewish
populations, comes not only at a criti-
cal economic juncture for Israel, but
also at an opportune time for Michigan
businesses, Sherman said. An im-
proved atmosphere for Detroit-area
business, with local firms looking to
expand operations and seeking new
avenues for sales and distribution,
should help the chapter get off the
ground.
"Meanwhile, one of the best ways
to help Israel recover from her eco-
nomic ills is to utilize her technology
and export it to other countries. By
using contacts made through the
chamber, we can only enhance the
number of possible solutions to the
problems that they are dealing with." -
Although a number of inquiries
from Israeli manufacturers have al-
ready been fielded by the Detroit
chamber, the deal for wider distribu-
tion of Elite candy is the only "match"
that the branch has made. But Jac-
kier, Sherman and a board of directors
comprised of prominent people from
both the local Jewish and business
coinmunities are confident that their
hard work and incessant lobbying will
pay off in the near future.
That board includes vice
presidents Jack Zwick and Norman
Pappas, secretary Peter Alter, trea-
surer James Safi-an and directors Alex
Blumenberg, Paul D. Borman,
Jonathan Brateman, Eli Cohen, Mor-
ton Feldman, Fred Ferber, Phillip
Fisher, Stanley D. Frankel, Ralph
Gerson, Alan Gilman, Steve Grand,
David Hermelin, Lawrence Jackier,
Emery Klein, Ben Nathan, Harold
Provizer, Mitchell Ribitwer, Douglas
Schubot, Robert Shapiro, Nathaniel
Share, Jan Shatzman, Max Sheldon,
Israel Tal and Uri Zachor.
Gov. James H. Blanchard and
Michigan Dept. of Commerce director
Doug Ross are honorary members.
The Detroit chapter is busy build-
ing a file of local contacts, putting to-
gether a library of business resource
materials and making "cold calls" in
an effort to drum up interest in the
project.
"We also plan to sponsor programs
in the community, with the aim of
making people aware of the business
possibilities Israel offers," Jackier
said, adding that the preparatory
work, while somewhat tedious, was
absolutely necessary. "When we make
contact with various companies here,
we need the background information
and product literature from the Israeli
companies at our fingertips."
Although area firms are sure to
benefit from the work of the chamber,
the primary goal is to help Israeli com-
panies establish contacts to do busi-
ness in the U.S., she said. But she em-
phasized that the chamber itself is a
non-profit organization.
"We get no money from the com-
panies we are dealing with," Sherman
added. "We are not involved in the
business dealings of the companies
themselves. We make the shiduch and
that's it. From there, they're on their
own."
The motivation for a Detroit
branch of the chamber came, strangely
enough, from about 300 miles down
the freeway in Chicago. "Up until this
past year," Jackier said, "the concept
of a local chamber always seemed to be
in the talking stage. But when the
people from the Chicago chamber
came in for last year's Step Up to Israel
conference, they told us they just
couldn't handle the entire Midwest
anymore and they urged us to get
going on a Detroit chapter."
In fact, much of what Jackier and
Sherman are trying to do is patterned
after the work of the nine-year-old
Chicago branch. In addition, the two
sought advice from newer, smaller
chapters like Minneapolis and also
from the Israeli Government Invest-
ment Authority.
"I wish I had a handbook on how to
establish one of these things," Jackier
- said. But by this time next year, she
may be able to write her own.
❑
Shelly Jackier is working as a
catalyst for Israeli products in a
market "that usually doesn't see
them."