A Message from the President The Federation, in partnership with its agencies, plays the leadership role in identifying needs within the Jewish community... e stand at a defining moment in the history of American Jewish life. The opportunites afforded to us by our country -- with its freedom, its mobility and its un- limited choices -- test our Jewish value system for each of us every day. The shtetl of our European ancestors seems to be a universe apart from our present-day lives. However, the richness of that close-knit society and the sense of contin- uity it fostered represent ideals we must strive for. We, too, seek to create a Jewish community where each of us is connected by tradition, by history and by commitment. Jewish continuity must become the centerpiece of our agenda. Preservation of our Jewish community must be the cornerstone of our planning for the future. Clearly, the completion of Federation's Strategic Plan propels us in that direction. David Page and the members of his committee produced an ambitious set of recommendations that will help carry our community into the 21st Century. In conjunction with Detroit's Jewish Population Study, the Strategic Plan suggests the importance of dynamic, creative change. I encourage you to read the enclosed summary of the plan and Federation's new mission statement that introduces this report. You will see not just what Federation is -- the central communal organization of the Jewish community -- but, more important, what we must become. Fun raising and fund raising went hand in hand at the Up All Night youth appeal for the Allied Jewish Campaign. Federation needs to be a catalyst for change. We have to continue our support for vital life-sustaining and life-enriching programs through our agencies. However, we also must seek new models, new programs and new ideas to ensure continuity and excel- lence in Jewish communal life. I am pleased to report that Federation has begun to make those changes so necessary to our communal future. • The move of our offices to the Max M. Fisher Building has brought Federation to the center of the Jewish population. In just a few short months, our new administrative offices have truly become a home to the staff and volunteers who give so much of their time to the community. 2