Message from the President and Executive Vice-President
Where there is no vision, the people shall perish.
Proverbs, 29:18
Fortunately for us, the founders of our great community were
men and women of vision. Fortunately for our children, it's a
quality we have sustained and strengthened.
our citizens. As the program evolves, we are seeing enor-
mous potential for bringing together and strengthening all
segments of our community.
It motivates us to explore new arenas of human service and
Jewish learning, of community building and personal
involvement.
The Commission on Identity and Affiliation identified needs
and suggested ways of enriching Jewish life across a broad
spectrum of interests, age and involvement. Even before
the final report is issued, new and exciting programs have
been introduced. Many more are anticipated.
It enables us to look beyond immediate needs—as important
as they are—and to anticipate the future.
Each of these community efforts suggests a willingness to
work toward realizing the special vision of our founding
generation.
It allows us to think creatively, to act constructively and to
strive always to be better than we are.
It broadens our horizons.
But we need to know even more about ourselves before we
can march purposefully into the future. How many of us are
there, and what do we need from our community? How ex-
tensive are the changes in family life? What values and per-
ceptions do we hold? Do we share our parents' concerns
about preserving Jewish life and helping fellow Jews
wherever they may live?
Over the past year, we bent to the task of learning who and
what we are. Following a two-year study, we implemented
recommendations of the Task Force on Services to the Non-
Institutionalized Elderly so that we could improve the quality
of life for our older citizens. We will carry this vital responsi-
bility forward, providing a wide range of services to meet
their needs.
A demographic study is critical if we are to address these
questions. In the coming year, we propose to undertake
such a study. This information will enable us to devik ways
of dealing with the needs we have identified. It will require a
strategic planning process, with the assistance of all seg-
ments of our community, so that together we can respond
creatively to the challenges.
The launching of The Neighborhood Project in Oak Park
and Southfield illustrated the richness of our Jewish environ-
ment and the possibilities of enhancing it for the good of all
The devotion of preceding generations created this remark-
able Jewish community. We must cherish what they gave
us, build on a foundation of knowledge and bring to it our
own commitment to the future.
If we are prepared to apply vision and creativity to the task,
there can be no boundaries to our horizons.
Conrad L. Giles, M.D.
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Martin S. Kraar