SOUTHFIELD:
AT RISK?
Is it too late or just in time for the
Jewish community of Southfield?
STAYING OR MOVING?
STORIES BY KIMBERLY LIFTON
PHOTOS BY GLENN TRIEST
I
f you are JewiA and living in Southfield, chances are good
you know someone Jewish who is either thinking about mov-
ing or who already has left. Chances are also good that you
know someone Jewish who is staying and has no intentions of
moving anytime soon.
Reasons for moving and reasons for staying can sometimes
cause a state of confusion in the mind of a Jew living in
Southfield. For every reason to move, there's a reason to stay.
Leaving the city encompasses a full range of emotions, in-
cluding feelings of guilt whether one chooses to leave or stay.
Jews move for many reasons. Historically, they move when
blacks or other minorities come into the neighborhood. With
integration comes a perceived increase in crime and decrease
in the quality of public school education. This is the case in
tracking many cities' white and Jewish flight to the suburbs.
Southfield recognizes this pattern. While proud of its ethnic
and racial diversity, it also is working to maintain its quality
of life —whether in the school system or public safety depart-
ment.
For this edition and the next two issues, The Jewish News
will take a look at Southfield and many of the issues that face
the city's Jewish community.
Andrea Steingold thinks the
time has passed for a Jewish
Southfield.
A longtime resident of
the city who moved recent-
ly to Farmington Hills, she
said the organized Jewish
community should have
THREE PART SERIES
Although
Southfield is not
inundated with For
Sale signs, they
are frequently
found in
neighborhoods
once
predominately
Jewish. Realtors
say buyers can
get more for their
money in
Southfield.
22
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1991
SOUTHFIELD:
AT RISICP
On Dec. 20, we will
compare Southfield and
the Neighborhood Pro-
ject with four other cities
that run successful in-
tegration or Jewish
revival projects.
Dec. 27: the future of
the Jewish community
and northwest migration.
done something a long time
ago to preserve Southfield's
Jewish essence. The Neigh-
borhood Project, she said, is
not enough.
Yehuda Stebbins, who
moved from one neighbor-
hood in Southfield to an-
other in the same city,
doesn't think it is fair to
"cast doom on Southfield in
any way, shape or form."
Micky and Jan Rosner
chose Southfield over Far-
mington Hills 15 years ago.
They said they got more
housing dollar for their
money. Mr. Rosner wants
to remain in Southfield
forever. Mrs. Rosner likes
it there but is unsure about
the future.
"If we believe in the
future of Southfield, we
will make that belief a
reality," said Rabbi Irwin
Groner of Congregation