Federation Is Urged
To Reconsider Site

KIMBERLY LIFTON

Staff Writer

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outhfield's elected of-
ficials this week laun-
ched a public cam-
paign urging the Jewish
Welfare Federation to show
its commitment to the Jew-
ish community by moving to
their city.
In separate moves, the
Southfield City Council
unanimously passed a
resolution asking the Fed-
eration to "seriously con-
sider moving their head-
quarters to Southfield," and
School Board President
Steve Kaplan sent a letter to
Federation President Mark
Schlussel, asking him to
reconsider the choice.
The Federation has an op-
tion to purchase 51/2 acres of
land in Farmington Hills on
13 Mile Road, east of Nor-
thwestern Highway. Federa-
tion officials said they will
bank the land for future de-
velopment.
The resolution was drafted
by staff members at the
direction of the City Council,
who in the past months have
discussed the Federation's
decision to move to Farm-
ington Hills.
"When it (the resolution)
was raised, there was no
dissension at all," Council
President Eli Robinson said.
"It is appropriate that the of-
fices be located in the area
and that they do not escape
the Jewish community.
"Where would it be ap-
propriate to move to be sym-
bolic? If you are talking
about economics, there is a
building on Maple Road. If
you are talking about the
heaviest concentration of
Jewish people, that is Oak
Park, Southfield and Hun-
tington Woods," Mr. Robin-
son said.
Jewish Welfare Federation
officials have said the site is
central to the community —
half which resides in the
Southfield, Oak Park and
Huntington Woods area and
the other half in the West
Bloomfield and Farmington
Hills area.
"We are open to exploring
other options," said Federa-
tion Executive ' Vice Presi-
dent Robert Aronson. "Our
position hasn't changed. We
want to be central to the
total Jewish community."
Mr. Schlussel said he is
pleased that the Southfield
community is interested in a
vital Jewish community role

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16 FRIDAY. SEPTEMBER 28. 1990

there. But, he said, the Fed-
eration already has shown
its commitment to the city
through undertakings like
the Neighborhood Project,
which provides no-interest
loans to help Jewish families
moving into specific areas of
Southfield and Oak Park.
Mr. Schlussel also cited
plans to enhance the Ten
Mile Campus of the Jewish
Community Center, which
are designed to "maintain
the vitality of the Southfield,
Oak Park and Huntington
Woods area.
"My inclination is that we
use the land we have under
contract," Mr. Schlussel said
about the Farmington site.
Mayor Donald Fracassi
sent the resolution to Mr.

Federation has an
option on land at
13 Mile and
Northwestern.

Schlussel with a letter
signed by each member of
the Southfield City Council.
Among the signers were five
Jewish members: Mr. Robin-
son and Denise Alexander,
Vicki Goldbaum, Suzanne
Goldstein and Sidney Lantz.
"As your recent population
study indicates, our city en-
joys the largest presence of
the Jewish community in
the metropolitan area," the
letter states. "Moving the
Federation offices to
Southfield, we believe, will
demonstrate a strength-
ening of your commitment to
the city."
A recent demographic
study shows that an
estimated 28,000 Jews
reside in Southfield.
"If the Federation moves
to Southfield, it will truly
show that they really mean
to stand behind their prom-
ises to not run away," Mrs.
Goldbaum said.
In the letter, the council
members offered to help the
Federation locate a suitable
parcel or building in
Southfield. It said that
Community Development
Director Donald Gross would
contact Mr. Schlussel.
"Our concern is that we
have a viable community in
Southfield and that this is
where the Federation should
hang its hat," said school
board member Zelda Robin-
son. "This is not a fate ac-
compli. There is room for
discussion." ❑

