REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY
T
he unique and vibrant meaning with which the Jewish
People has imbued the term kehilla is unlike any other definition of
community. It is a concept enfolded by our tradition, our faith and
our history.
Throughout this extraordinary year of rescue, resettlement,
war and economic hardship, we have witnessed the "Jewish defini-
tion" of community being played out time and again: compassion,
commitment, cooperation.
It is impossible to adequately convey our appreciation to the
Federation agencies and beneficiaries whose leaders work so hard
to bring comfort and assistance to the aged and poor and troubled
of our community.
We cannot individually acknowledge the volunteers, syna-
gogues and organizations that together enabled hundreds of new
Americans to take the first steps toward lives of freedom and
Jewish meaning.
Nor have we the space to list the thousands of Detroiters who
lent their support to these efforts through the Allied Jewish Cam-
paign and the Federated Endowment Fund.
Compassion. Commitment. Cooperation.
As we take leave of the Butzel Building, Federation's home in
downtown Detroit for the past 40 years, we remember the innu-
merable issues that challenged us, the thousands of meetings and
events that demonstrated the vitality of our enterprise, the count-
less individuals whose selflessness and devotion sustained us.
We remember four momentous decades -- and now, with a
new name that reflects changing needs, we look forward to the
next chapter: new directions in Jewish education, services to people
with disabilities, cooperation with outstate Jewish communities,
dynamic relationships with Israel and overseas Jewry.
And, on the threshold of the 21st Century, as we seek to meet
the needs of a shifting Jewish population, Federation begins the
crucial process of strategic planning.
We have many questions: What kind of organization does our
community want us to be? How do we enable more people to
participate as leaders and as volunteers? How do we increase our
financial resources so we may provide additional services? Hun-
dreds of people will search for the answers. But to bring about
change, we will need the cooperation of every member of our
community.
Compassion. Commitment. Cooperation.
This year, we stood together for several historic moments: On
January 17, the opening of the Allied Jewish Campaign, when we
heard the shocking news of the first Scud lobbed into Israel during
the Gulf War. On January 27, when 4,000 rallied in expression of
support for Israel and our American troops in the Gulf. On May 5,
when 8,000 reaffirmed that support in a walk celebrating Israel's
43rd anniversary as the reborn Jewish state.
In Israel's rescue of nearly 200,000 Jews from the Soviet Union
and Ethiopia, we saw the most compelling expression of Jewish
values. An extension of those values was in our community's
incredible response to Operation Exodus -- more than $20 million
for the resettlement of Soviet Jewry in Israel and Detroit.
Our task is far from completed. But this year has demon-
strated that our community is up to the challenge. With your
support, we will go from strength to strength as the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit.
A
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11
Mark E. Schlussel, President
Robert P. Aronson, Executive Vice-President