THE JEWISH NE SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY THIS ISSUE 60c Agencies Ponder GM Layoff Impact FEBRUARY 27, 1987 / 28 SHEVAT 5747 CLOSE-UP Experts are unclear on how the lean-and-mean approach might affect the Jewish community The Jewish Welfare Federation has granted a special allocation of $300,000 to the Jewish Home for Aged to help meet a $600,000 budget deficit, brought on in part by Michi- gan's low Medicaid reimbursement rate and the increasing age and frailty of the home's residents. The supplementary 1986-1987 allocation—over and above the $850,000 that Federation had budgeted for the home in that period—was approved last week by Federation's United Jewish recession of the early '80s which sent thousands to the Sun Belt? If Michi- gan enters another recession, what will the effect be on Detroit's Jews? How closely is our community tied to the region's auto and steel economy? While a recession seems remote now, local Jewish agencies are warily following events. Spokesmen are not at all in agreement about the current state of affairs or what the future holds. The effect of an economic downturn will not be immediate on the general Jewish population, ac- cording to Margaret Weiner, director of professional services at Jewish Family Service. "It takes a year or two for the problems to trickle down." Not all Jews are professionals, working far from Detroit's industrial center, Dr. Conrad Giles, president of the Jewish Welfare Federation, points out. "In these layoffs, certainly there will be Jewish factory workers directly affected. It will affect suppliers (to GM) in our community." Just whether another recession is on the way is unclear. At Jewish Family Service, says Weiner, opinion is divided whether the GM layoffs are a harbinger of economic distress in the Jewish community. Says Dr. Giles: "At this point we have no indication (from local Jewish agencies) that there is any surge of increased demand. They are ex- tremely sensitive indicators." But Albert Ascher, executive di- rector of Jewish Vocational Services has seen a subtle shift recently. Continued on Page 21 Continued on Page 16 DAVID HOLZEL Staff Writer "What's good for General Motors is good for the country." That often- repeated axiom may not hold true anymore, especially in Detroit. The giant automaker announced this month that it will cut $10 billion in costs by 1990. Earlier, GM an- nounced that it will close six assem- bly plants and five metal fabricating plants over three years. Twenty-nine thousand jobs will be eliminated, two-thirds of them in the Detroit area. How will the closings affect Metro Detroit, which is just begin- ning to regain its confidence after the Jewish Home Budget Bind Staff Report SUBURBAN ADVENTURE Have Jewish Hospitals Outlived Their Purpose? 22 Jewish foster children found being taken to church FOSTERING 73 RELIGION 41 Kids enjoy all types of camp activities in heart of the city Amazing Marketplace Anniversaries Births Editorials Engagements Entertainment Obituaries Seniors Single Life Torah Portion Women Youth 89 74 82 6 76 55 106, 107 46 85 18 48 84 CANDLELIGHTING 6:02 P.M.