SOUTHFIELD:
hoods," said Larry Ziffer,
Federation's planning di-
rector. "We said here we go
again. 1-696 seemed like
the final nail in the coffin.
Eight Mile Road was mov-
ing up to 1-696. The percep-
tion was that Federation
didn't care.
"A certain amount of the
original movement toward
Neighborhood Project
could have been because
people felt guilty," Mr.
Ziffer said. "Not today. It
has been a five-year evolu-
tion. There is an under-
standing that this is
positive. This will work."
The Jewish Community
Council believes now is an
opportune time for
Southfield. Beginning this
month, the Jewish Com-
munity Council will look
specifically at Southfield as
a place to build ethnic
bridges.
Executive Director Gad-
Harf said his organization
will meet with Southfield's
Total Living commission,
school officials and ad-
ministrators to develop rela-
tionships that would im-
prove the vitality of
Southfield.
"It's time," Mr. Gad-Harf
said. "This will be grass
roots. Part of Southfield's
problem is image, which
gets in the way of pro-
gress."
RAPID GROWTH
IN THE '60S, '70S
In the late 1960s and ear-
ly 1970s, many Jews made
Southfield their home.
Some came from Oak Park,
the first popular dwelling
place outside of Detroit for
the Jewish community.
Others came from nor-
thwest Detroit.
Homes were newer,
larger and affordable. The
community was growing,
and the schools were
reputable. These were
dream homes — people
plahned to retire there.
Within its 26 square
miles are commercial and
industrial properties
numbering 6,400, open
spaces where fox and occa-
sional deer are seen,
countless cultural and
recreational services pro-
vided by the city, and a
school system with a low
3.5 percent dropout rate
that sends 88 percent of its
graduates to college.
Southfield, incorporated
in 1956, borders Detroit at
Eight Mile Road on the
south, Oak Park to the
east, Farmington Hills to
the west and Bingham
Farms, Franklin and
Beverly Hills on the north.
During Southfield's
growth period of the 1970s,
the Jewish community
took stake in the future of
the city.
"The question now is the
stability of its Jewish
population," said city
council member Mr.
Robinson. "With many of
these Jewish people senior
citizens, we need some
means to stabilize the Jew-
ish and white popula-
tions."
City council member Ms.
Alexander said the city is
at risk of losing its Jewish
homeowner base. The
priority for Southfield, she
said, is maintaining a di-
"This is a good
neighborhood,
and this is a
good school."
Marc Wasser, 14
verse base and keeping the
Jewish population within
that foundation.
"Will it stay that way?"
she asked. "I hope so.
There is no place I'd rather
be."
Movement is not new to
Detroit's Jewish commun-
ity or to other Jewish
communities throughout
the United States. The
reasons vary — upward
mobility, better schools for
children,- more options for a
people once victims of re-
strictive deed covenants,
changing demographics as
blacks move into the
neighborhoods.
Today, Detroit's Jewish
community is spread out
over 100 square miles, a
larger radius with many
more options than were
available to Detroit's
original Jewish residefits.
The riots of 1967 created
a mass exodus from the city
of Detroit —including most
of the Jewish community.
By the 1970s, Southfield
was thriving. Growth was
rapid, taking place bet-
ween 1960 and 1975.
"Detroit's white flight of
the 1960s probably was the
AT RISK?
most outstanding example
of white flight in American
urban history," said
Queens College sociologist
Steven Cohen, who con-
ducted the Detroit Jewish
population study. "Yet the
thing about extraordinary
events is that they tend not
to repeat themselves."
When people moved into
Southfield during its 15-
year rapid growth period,
most families were the
same age, with children
who also were the same
age. Then the children
grew up — all at the same
time. The population aged.
Neighborhoods once
boasting large Jewish
populations are now mixed
with ethnic groups.
Barbara Talley, who is
black, moved to Southfield
in 1970. A former city
council member, she now
is a co-director for the Oak-
land County Center For
Open Housing, which aims
to successfully integrate
some of the segregated
neighborhoods of Oakland
County.
She and her husband,
Alfred, moved to Southfield
to live in a community
where they could make a
good investment. They
wanted resale value.
In Southfield, she said,
they could get something
for their money and, at the
same time, live in an area
where they felt comfor-
table. The neighborhood
they chose, Northland
Gardens — north of Eight
Mile between Greenfield
and Southfield roads —
was largely Jewish.
"Jews are more receptive
to blacks," she said. "We
wouldn't think of moving
to Dearborn or Warren."
She said Jews left partly
because they were scared.
Many still believed that
blacks moving into a
neighborhood meant prop-
erty values would decline.
"People are still pre-
judiced." Mrs. Talley said.
"I hope the efforts I make
will help those coming
behind me."
Graten Little Sr., an
interior designer, is black
and has always lived in
Jewish neighborhoods. He
moved 12 years ago into a
house in Sherwood Village
in Southfield, and now
lives at 5000 Town Center.
"Jewish people were the
only ones who would sell to
us," he said. "Jewish peo-
ple go for bigger and
newer. They are going to
West Bloomfield.
"Blacks are buying in
Southfield," Mr. Little
said. "Then we'll go to
West Bloomfield.
"Jews move, and just
reach a point where they
want better," he said.
"They are not trying to
avoid somebody."
Mr. • Little's son, Corky,
22, and a student of urban
planning, said some people
still are racist, which is un-
fortunate.
Ideally, he might want to
live in an all-black, middle
class neighborhood. Yet he
said bank redlining poli-
cies and people's prejudice
may prevent that scenario.
"It is just something you
learn to accept," Corky
Little said. "Some are ig-
norant and don't try to
learn the diversity of
others' cultures.
"As I was growing up in
Southfield, I had the ad-
Black students
today comprise 56
percent of
Southfield's
student body.
School officials
say the children
enjoy learning
about many
cultures.
Continued on Page 30
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
25