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September 19, 1986 - Image 67

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1986-09-19

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

1986-2006

Back to the Future

By Dr. Conrad L. Giles

Now that time travel is no longer the subject
of only B-grade movies, let's imagine for a
moment that we've arrived at the year 2006.
It's not that far away, you know—only 20
years down the road.

We discovered a tremendous untapped source
of voluntarism among our senior citizens. We
discovered that their special skills and experi-
ence, their wisdom and sensitivity were one of
the Jewish community's greatest strengths.

Being neither forecaster nor prophet, I can
only guess what our Jewish community will
look like. But I do have Federation's first 60
years as a guide. They give a pretty good idea
of our ability to turn challenge into opportunity.

Development of Resources
What we found among older adults we also
learned about young adults: They needed to
be reached in the right way if we were to build
leadership and obtain their support for vital
services.

Safely landed in the year 2006 after our trip
through time, let's look at four challenges that
our community has faced:
Jewish Identity and Affiliation
Sometime back in 1986, the Detroit Jewish
community met head-on the problems that go
with the changing nature of marriage and the
family.

We introduced new programs of high quality
that would appeal to all ages and professions.
We reached out to them where they lived and
worked, communicating the message of Jew-
ish community and peoplehood:We Are One —
Partners for Life.

Martin Kraar

We solidified Detroit's position as the leading
community in philanthropy on behalf of Jewish
causes—through both the Allied Jewish Cam-
paign and the Federated Endowment Fund.
Sometimes the shifting economy made the go-
ing a little rough. But our $100 million endow-
ment goal was surpassed handily, and the
Campaign reached new heights in fund raising.

EXECUTIVE
COMMITTEE

Around us we saw a growing number of single-
parent families—as well as those with two
working parents. We were concerned about a
declining population. Could we withstand the
trends toward later marriage and fewer chil-
dren? Could we tune in the Jewish dropouts?
With increasing mobility and geographical
spread, could we recreate the spirit of the old
Jewish neighborhoods? Could we transmit
traditional Jewish values amid all of these
concerns?

In seizing an opportunity, we learned a lot
about ourselves. We learned that it would take
innovation and creative ideas to offset the
many choices in a free and open society.

We learned that this could not be a one-shot
operation. It would require greater support
both of day schools and of agencies providing
informal education. And we learned that we
could rely upon many community resources,
especially synagogues and temples, as neigh-
borhood centers for imparting Jewish values.

The Elderly
Suddenly, all of us were facing this critical con-
cern. Not only our parents, but we ourselves,
were coming face to face with the aging process.

Federation committed a greater proportion of
its resources to improving the quality of life for
our community's older adults. The emphasis
increasingly was on helping them to live in-
dependently in their own homes, thus prolong-
ing their lives and enabling them to live in
dignity.

Coordinating services provided by our agencies,
applying imagination and clout to involve the
private and public sectors, Federation reached
out to many more people—and in the process
made a wonderful discovery.

Israel
As we learned in the "old days" back in the
1980s, neither politics nor economics could
diminish our community's support for Israel.
Through good times and bad, Detroit and Israel
strengthened each other.

We went beyond traditional relationships,
building new foundations of understanding
and friendship. And, recognizing the impor-
tance of manpower to the State of Israel and
the personal sacrifice required to start a new
life there, we found ways of assisting those
making aliyah.

I suppose the greatest discovery of the past 20
years was really not new at all. In fact, we shar-
ed many of the same concerns that our parents
faced.

But, long ago, in the decades of Federation's
establishment, we learned that no problem was
unsolvable if we had the will to solve it. With
the dawning of the 21st Century, I see a com-
munity that is wiser, stronger and confident of
meeting whatever challenges lie ahead.

Dr. Conrad L. Giles is vice-
president of the Jewish
Welfare Federation and
has headed its Task Force
on Services to the Hon-
Institutionalized Elderly.

OFFICERS

Joel D. Tauber

President

Dr. Conrad L. Giles
Edythe Jackier
Thomas I. Klein
David K. Page
Jack A. Robinson

Vice-Presidents

Mark E. Schlussel

Treasurer

Secretary and
Executive Vice-President

David Handleman

President
United Jewish Charities

Hon. Avern L. Cohn

Chairman

Max M. Fisher

Honorary Chairman

Peter M. Alter
James M. August
Mandell L. Berman
Louis Berry
Marlene Borman
Paul D. Borman
Ruth K. Broder
Stanley D. Frankel
Carolyn Greenberg
Hugh W. Greenberg
Stuart E. Hertzberg
Lawrence S. Jackier
Maxwell Jospey
Milton Lucow
Robert H. Naftaly
Dulcie Rosenfeld
Jane Sherman
Bruce E. Thal
*Paul Zuckerman

and Officers

BOARD OF
GOVERNORS

Jerry Bielfield
Maurice S. Binkow
David L. Bittker
Paul Borman
*Tom Borman
N. Brewster Broder
Lester S. Burton

* Deceased

Martin E. Citrin
Susan Citrin
Leon S. Cohan
Joseph B. Colten
Gerald S. Cook
Marvin I. Danto
Dr. Paul C. Feinberg
Dr. Leon Fill
Benjamin H. Frank
Samuel Frankel
Joel D. Gershenson
Marvin H. Goldman
Dr. Milton H. Goldrath
Stuart Goldstein
Harvey A. Gordon
Irwin Green
Miriam Hamburger
Sharon Hart
Mark R. Hauser
Samuel Hechtman
David Hermelin
Joseph H. Jackier
Dr. Joseph M. Jacobson
Jennie Jones
Bernard Klein
Emery I. Klein
Dr. Richard Krugel
Janet Levine
Edward C. Levy, Jr.
David B. Liner
Harry T. Madison
Milton S. Marwil
Myron L. Milgrom
David S. Mondry
Norman Naimark
Joseph H. Orley
Dr. Irving Panush
Michael B. Perlman
Jack Schon
Alan E. Schwartz
Janice Schwartz
Edwin G. Shifrin
Erwin S. Simon
Leonard N. Simons
Robert G. Slatkin
Richard Sloan
Philip Slomovitz
Robert A. Steinberg
Bernard H. Stollman
Frieda Stollman
Phillip Stollman
George M. Stutz
Rabbi M. Robert Syme
A. Alfred Taubman
Norman Wachler
Stanley J. Winkelman

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