DETROIT

United Way Torch Drive
Gives Back To The Community

ALAN HITSKY

Associate Editor

D

etroit's Jewish com-
munity is often asked
to contribute to chari-
table causes. The annual
United Way Torch Drive not
only asks for money, it gives
back to the Jewish commun-
ity.
Five Jewish agencies in
the Detroit area receive a
total of nearly $2 million
from the United Way of
Southeastern Michigan. And
the United Way has a
number of prominent Jewish
contributors among its
leadership.
Jewish agencies which
receive funds from the $66
million Torch Drive are:
• Jewish Family Service.
Some $884,000 of JFS' $2.5
million annual budget is
Torch Drive money, used to
fund JFS programs for vol-
unteer and counseling ser-
vices for youth, young single
parents, family preservation
programs and services to
older adults.
"It amounts to 30 percent
of our annual budget," says
JFS executive Alan Good-
man. The agency also

net is being steadily under-
mined."
• Jewish Community
Center. The Torch Drive
provides $643,000 to the
JCC's $6 million budget, ac-
cording to executive director
Morton Plotnick. The Torch
Drive funds are designated
for JCC programs for
seniors, developmentally
disabled, children's ac-
tivities, teen services, and
leisure and recreation pro-
grams.
• Jewish Vocational Ser-
vice. Some $437,000 of the
agency's $7 million budget
comes from United Way. The
funds are designated for spe-
c i a 1. employment and
rehabilitative services. "We
use the allocation to
supplement funds and gain
matching funds for the men-
tally and developmentally
disabled," says JVS exec-
utive director Albert Ascher.
"It becomes very important,
leverage money for us."
• Jewish Home for Aged
receives $30,000 for its day
program, which helps the

non-institutionalized but
frail elderly. Approximately
20 individuals particpate.in
the program from one to five
days per week, coming to
JHA for social and
therapeutic activities, beau-
ty and barber care, and lun-
ch.
• Fresh Air Society
receives $1 , 000 for
Tamarack Camps. United
Way also pays for emotional-
ly impaired youngsters to at-
tend Silverman Village dur-
ing the summer.
The Torch Drive "is a very
valuable and important
resource for us," says the
JCC's Dr. Plotnick. "We're
very lucky the Jewish com-
munity supports United
Way in many ways. That's a
key part.
"We derive benefit from it
directly, but it is also true
that when the whole com-
munity is better off (with
United Way's help), we are
all better off."
United Way of
Southeastern Michigan has
long ties to the Jewish corn-
munity, dating back to the

Unibed Way

for Southeastern Michigan

post-World War II years. N.
Brewster Broder of Farm-
ington Hills credits Max
Fisher and Alan E. Schwartz
with pioneering Jewish in-
volvement in the early
1950s. United Way present-
ly has five Jewish vice presi-
dents — Mr. Schwartz,
Gerald Greenwald, David
Page, Jack Robinson and
Joel Tauber — out of 40, and
Mr. Fisher is one of two
honorary chairs of the board.
Mr. Broder, of Farmington
Hills, is chairman of United
Way of Michigan which co-
ordinates 107 United Ways
in out-state Michigan. Only
21 of the 107 are profes-
sionally staffed.

Mr. Broder's mother was
involved in the old Commun-
ity Chest and Red Feather
drives in the late 1940s and
he became involved repre-
senting the USO after he
returned from the Korean
War.
He says he has never
heard criticism of United
Way contributions to Jewish
agencies. "After all," he
points out, "these are broad,
overall agencies serving
more than just Jews." Torch
Drive funds go to other re-
ligiously-backed organiza-
tions, such as Catholic
Youth Services.
A total of 151 agencies
receive Torch Drive funding.
Mr. Broder believes there
has been additional Jewish
input into United Way in re-
cent years. Sol Drachler,
former Jewish Welfare Fed-
eration executive vice presi-
dent, has been serving as a
United Way consultant and
the agency has been working
on more pacesetter, pre-
Torch Drive fund-raising.
But Mr. Broder declines to
credit the Jewish Welfare
Federation's Allied Jewish
Campaign as a model. "They
(United Way) do a good job,"
he says, "and they are
always out there trying to do
better."

❑

Germany's Past Is Not Forgotten

SUSAN GRANT

Staff Writer

W

hile many Jews ap-
proach the recent
reunification of
Germany with a feeling of
trepidation, German repre-
sentatives want to assure
Jews that they needn't
worry.
During an Oct. 15 round-
table discussion of the Ger-
. man reunification at Wayne
State University, Mr. Peter
Beerwerth, deputy consul of
the Consul General of the
Federal Republic of Ger-
many, said, "This new Ger-
many really is a new Ger-
many in many respects."
"This Germany no longer
N. Brewster Broder:
has unresolved territory
Involved since the '50s.
disputes," Mr. Beerwerth
said. "This new Germany
receives substantial funds
has an accepted place in the
from the Skillman Founda-
international community."
tion, the Area Agency on Ag-
He is puzzled by people
ing and the Allied Jewish
worried that the Oct. 3
Campaign.
reunification will bring
Mr. Goodman says the
about a militaristic Ger-
United Way, like other
many, Mr. Beerwerth said.
charitable groups, "hasn't
"After 40 years of the Fed-
been able to generate the
eral Republic of Germany,
dollars it wants to. There are
why is there concern that
more • agencies, with more
Germany will pull out of
needs, and the pie is being
West Europe?"
cut up even more. The safety
Dr. Guy Stern, German

and Slavic languages and
literature professor at
Wayne, admits reunification
will totally change every day
life in Germany.
There are some nationwide
political movements to
change the German con-
stitution, the laws governing
the number of political refu-
gees coming into the coun-
try, women's rights and en-
vironmental concerns.

"Anti-Semitism is
not a problem at all
in Germany."

Peter Beerwerth

"On a small scale where
unification is beset by prob-
lems, it also has its
benefits," Dr. Stern said.
Among the boons are the
climbing profits among
small businessmen who
have sold more merchandise
to East German citizens.
Yet, East Germans have a
failing economy, which leads
to unemployment fears, he
said. "People assured of jobs
have been dismissed."
Despite the problems, Mr.
Beerwerth believes
reunification will be

beneficial to all, including
German Jews.
But Keith Braun, an at-
torney with Honigman
Miller Schwartz Cohn who
traveled to Germany in
June, has mixed feelings
about reunification. While
he is certain it will benefit
Germany, Mr. Braun wor-
ries about the viability of the
28,000 German Jewish
community.
The Holocaust was rarely
taught in East Germany,
Mr. Braun said. Combine
that ignorance with a failing
economy and the. knowledge
that in bad times people tend
to look toward other groups
to blame for their suffering.
Mr. Braun is concerned
about outbreaks of anti-
Semitism. Sheldon Lutz,
board member of the Ameri-
can Jewish Committee,
echoed Mr. Braun's concern.
"There is a sense of ex-
citement mixed with
trepidation." Mr. Lutz said.
"Both Jews and non-Jews
feel Germany was responsi-
ble for both wars. We hope
that Germany will not only
be democratic, but be a
leader in terms of making
the world a better place to
live."
Mr. Beerwerth tried to

assure the 25 people at the
discussion that while
reunification brought hap-
piness to Germans, it was
not mixed with national
pride.
"There was no feeling of
national exuberance," Mr.
Beerwerth said. "There was
a sense of solemnness and
pragmatism."
While 78 percent of the
German people were born
during or after World War II
and the feelings of collective
guilt have subsided, most
Germans are not proud of
their country's past, Mr.
Beerwerth said.
Quoting German
Chancellor Helmut Kohl,
Mr. Beerwerth reminded the
audience that "genocide
must never be forgotten."
"We have tried to compen-
sate for those losses," said
Mr. Beerwerth, in reference
to the claims Jews can now
file against the East German
government for property loss
during World War II.
"Many people are learning
about the Holocaust, which
is taught in schools," Mr.
Beerwerth said. "Anti-
Semitism is not a problem at
all in Germany. Germany
has shown an awareness of
its responsibility."

❑

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