DETROIT

Federation Board Approves
Move To Bloomfield Township

AMY J. MEHLER

Staff Writer

T

he Board of Governors
of the Jewish Welfare
Federation of Detroit
voted last week to move the
bulk of its offices and ser-
vices from its downtown
headquarters to suburban
Detroit.
The board reached its deci-
sion a week after both the
executive committee of the
Federation and the board of
United Jewish Charities
voted unanimously to move
from the Butzel Building at
163 Madison Ave. to the
Oakland Hills Office Build-
ing on Tblegraph Road south
of Maple. The move could
take place as early as this
fall.
Their decision was not
made without opposition.
Southfield's mayor, Donald
F. Fracassi, and seven coun-
cil members wrote to the
Federation, asking for
reconsideration of the deci-
sion and a commitment to
the Jewish community by
moving their base to what
they called the center of the
metropolitan area — South-
field.
"What has happened is
that the Jewish Welfare
Federation has not followed
the Jewish community,"
said Eli Robinson, a
Southfield city council
member. "The Federation is
leading the Jewish commun-
ity, whether inadvertently
or by design, away from
older, established com-
munities."
Sid Lantz, another South-

field City Council member,
said the Federation should
have seriously considered
Southfield.
"We wished the Federa-
tion would resettle in
Southfield," Mr. Lantz said.
"According to their own
surveys, Southfield is the
mainstay of the Jewish
community."
But Mark Schlussel, presi-
dent of the Federation and a
Southfield resident, said
that while two major Jewish

"The Federation is
leading the Jewish
community,
whether
inadvertently or by
design, away from
older, established
communities."

Eli Robinson

population centers exist —
one in Oak Park, Southfield
and Huntington Woods, and
the other in West Bloomfield
and Farmington Hills — in
fact the Jewish community
lives throughout the tri-
county area.
"Our desire is to serve our
entire Jewish community,
wherever they live, and to
maintain our partnership
with Detroit at large," Mr.
Schlussel said.
Mr. Schlussel also said the
Federation had been plann-
ing this move for a long
time, but was waiting until
they found the best offer and
most effective means possi-
ble.

Elisheva Weiss, and Rachel and Elisheva Roszler thoroughly enjoyed
ice cream and activites at Young Israel of Oak-Woods' Israel In-
dependence Day celebration last week. Hundreds of persons enjoyed a
'magician and Israeli-style dinner featuring falafel, pita and hummus.

14

FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 1991

Jane Sherman, a vice pres-
ident of the Federation, said
the next location of the Fed-
eration needed to be where
the bulk of the Jewish com-
munity lives.
"I'd guess about 90 percent
of the Jewish community
has no idea where the Fed-
eration is currently located,"
Mrs. Sherman. said. "By
moving to Bloomfield
Township, we can best let
people know where we are,
and more importantly, who
we are."
Renovations on the 20-
year-old Oakland Hills Of-
fice Building will take place
over the summer, including
improvements to accom-
modate persons with
disabilities, Mr. Schlussel
said.
The improvements will be
covered by private donations
and the sale of the Butzel
Building, Mr. Schlussel said.
The Jewish Community
Council, on the other hand,
has decided not to leave
Detroit for the suburbs. Ac-
cording to Council Vice Pres-
ident Jeannie Weiner, the
Council's board of directors
voted to maintain their prin-
cipal office downtown.
"We need to maintain a
presence in the city because
we're a community relations
arm for the entire commun-
ity, not only the Jewish
community," Mrs. Weiner
said. The Council, which has
shared office space with the
Federation for the last 30
years, also maintains an of-
fice at the Agency for Jewish
Education in Southfield.
David Gad-Harf, executive
vice president of the Council,
said the organization will
occupy some office space in
the new, three-story Federa-
tion building in order to in-
crease its accessibility to the
Jewish community in Oak-
land County.
Graham Orley, president
of United Jewish Charities
and a member of the Federa-
tion board, said the decision
should not be viewed as a
loss of support or confidence
in Southfield.
"On the contrary," Mr.
Orley said, "the Federation
supports the Neighborhood
Project which has already
guaranteed almost 400
homeowner loans in Oak
Park and Southfield.
"The Federation has to
support both ends of the
community, and in my opi-
nion, the new location is cen-
tral to both ends." ❑

Rabbi Chuck Diamond

Rabbi Diamond To Leave
Shaarey Zedek's School

SUSAN GRANT

Staff Writer

R

abbi Chuck Diamond
found a job offer from
a Pittsburgh syn-
agogue too tempting to ig-
nore.
So, at the end of June,
Rabbi Diamond is leaving
Congregation Shaarey
Zedek where he spent the
last two years rebuilding the
synagogue's educational
program.
"It wasn't something we
were looking for," said
Rabbi Diamond about his
new position as assistant
rabbi and educational direc-
tor for Congregation Beth
Shalom, a 1050-family syn-
agogue. But given the oppor-
tunity to return to his
hometown of Pittsburgh,
Rabbi Diamond and his wife,
Mickie, who is expecting the
couple's first child next mon-
th, decided to take it.
"My parents and my
brother's family live there.
It's also more accessible for
my wife who has family on
the East Coast," he said. "I
didn't want my kids to grow
up without grandparents."
Still, the decision was
difficult, Rabbi Diamond
said. "It feels like I'm leav-
ing a bit prematurely," he
said. "On the other hand, I
feel I have planted the seeds
of a strong foundation."
During his reign as the
synagogue's educational di-
rector, he has revised the
curriculum for the younger
grades, increased in-
volvement in youth groups,
and helped form a stronger

bond between Hillel Day
School students and the syn-
agogue.
"I've seen a change of at-
titude throughout the Heb-
rew school in terms of the
students and in terms of the
parents," Rabbi Diamond
said. "There is a noticeable
sense of excitement."
Rabbi Diamond, who had
quickly gained popularity
among the school's students,
said he sees no reason for the
congregation's educational
programs to take a
downward slide.
"We are working to make
a transition as smooth as
possible," said Rabbi Dia-
mond, who with help from
assistant director, Michael
Wolf, is preparing for
September. Mr. Wolf, with
assistance from Rabbi
William Gershon and addi-
tional administrative staff,
will lead the school next
year.
Dr. Mark Smiley, Hillel
Day School headmaster, who
has worked with Rabbi Dia-
mond professionally and is a
personal friend, said, "I, as
well as my colleagues, were
saddened to hear the news.
Rabbi Diamond is one of
those rare educators who
make a real difference in the
life of everyone!'
Rabbi Irwin Groner of
Congregration Shaarey
Zedek said, "He (Rabbi
Diamond) has imparted his
enthusiasm, his love of
Judaism and his love of chil-
dren to our entire school.
The truth is we wanted him
to stay. He was a great value
to our synagogue and youth
programs." ❑