SOUTHFIELD:
Leonard
Elementary School
on Winchester in
Southfield's
Beacon Square is
still attractive to
Jewish families.
Above, students
wear native
American
costumes for a
Thanksgiving
program.
Shaarey Zedek. "I believe
in it."
Rabbi Groner is one of
many who believe in
Southfield, and he in-
tends to stay as a resident
and as a spiritual leader.
Others, like the Steingolds,
will continue to follow
those opting for north-
west suburbs away from
Southfield.
Mixed emotions present a
dilemma for Southfield.
Will Southfield lose its
Jewish presence?
"There is a very good
AT RISK?
possibility that Southfield
will maintain its Orthodox-
Jewish presence, and as
long as it does, there will
always be a Jewish
presence," Mr. Stebbins
said.
"There are only so many
people who will be able to
afford other areas, and
Southfield is affordable,"
said David Gad-Harf, ex-
ecutive director of the Jew-
ish Community Council.
"People are always mov-
ing. We can't stop that. But
we can bring people
•together to defeat
misperceptions."
In the early 1970s,
Southfield became home to
many Jews, their institu-
tions and congregations.
Jewish Family Service,
Beth Achim, Shaarey
Zedek, Young Israel of
Southfield, B'nai David,
Jewish Vocational Service,
Hebrew Free Loan, JARC,
Kadima, National Council
of Jewish Women and
United Hebrew Schools are
among those who invested
in Southfield.
Politically, Southfield is
rife with Jewish presence.
Five Jewish politicians
serve on its city council: Eli
Robinson, Denise Alex-
ander, Vicki Goldbaum,
Suzanne Goldstein and
Sidney Lantz; two Jewish
politicians serve the city in
the state House and state
Senate; Rep. Maxine Ber-
man and Sen. Jack Faxon.
In addition, Rep. Sander
Levin, also Jewish, serves
Southfield in the U.S.
House.
B'nai David is leaving.
Congregation Beth Achim
recently voted to remain on
12 Mile. Yet membership is
quickly dropping at the
Conservative congrega-
tion, once over 700 families
— now at 450 families. Fi-
nancial problems abound,
and its leaders do not know
how long it can stay afloat.
Shaarey Zedek plans to
stay in its location at Bell
and 11 Mile roads. It is fi-
nancially sound, yet just
460 of its 1,800 families
live in Southfield.
To accommodate its
members outside of
Southfield, Shaarey
Zedek's afternoon Hebrew
school has been moved to
Hillel Day School in Farm-
ington Hills and a new
parenting center will open
next year at Green and
Walnut Lake roads in West
Bloomfield.
"We are responding to a
population shift," Rabbi
Groner said. "It is our in-
tention to remain here, to
continue activities and
programs. However, our
outreach programs provide
shorter driving time for
some of our members.
"At the same time, it
enables us to preserve and
maintain our synagogue
building in Southfield," he
said. "Shaarey Zedek is
making a statement."
CHANGE .. .
AND STABILITY
Southfield's demograph-
ics are changing as the
city's neighborhoods are
growing with blacks,
Orientals, Chaldeans and
other ethnic groups. U.S.
Census figures for 1990
show that Southfield's
75,728-person population is
29 percent black.
In addition, the demo-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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