I
4 .■
A fresh look at some recent stories in the headlines.
UW
Cuts
Agencies
A
RUTH LITTMANN
STAFF WRITER
sagging campaign for
the United Way of
Southeastern Michi-
Swastika
Forces
A Move
ALAN HITSKY
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Mommy,
Daddy
And Me
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
ASSISTANT EDITOR
$1 Million
Opens
Eyes In
Israel
STAFF REPORT
gan might mean cuts to
staff and programs at
local Jewish agencies.
The United Way raised
$57,827,000 in 1992. The
campaign total, which
will be allocated to affili-
ated institutions during .
1993, is at its lowest since
1985.
The Jewish Family
Service, Jewish Vocational
Service and Jewish
Community Center
received smaller United
Way allocations this year.
Sinai Hospital, another
recipient of United Way
funds, has not been
notified about its alloca-
tion yet.
Jim Hall, vice president
of United Way Cam-
paigns, attributes the
campaign shortfall to eco-
nomic and political flux in
1992.
Now, that uncertainty
has spread. Barbara
Nurenberg, executive
director of JVS, says the
agency received about
$20,000 less from United
Way than was allocated
last year.
"But we don't know the
total picture at this
point," she said.
Until the Jewish Fed-
eration of Metropolitan
Detroit distributes funds
from the Allied Jewish
Campaign, agency direc-
tors won't know about
layoffs. Jewish Family
Service sustained a
$58,000 cut from United
Way. ,Alan Goodman,
executive director of JFS,
says the loss will impact
staff and programs if it is
not buffered by funding
from other sources.
The Jewish Community
Center lost $40,000 in
United Way cuts.
lan Feldman of Novi
will soon become Alan
Feldman of Lake
Orion.
Mr. Feldman plans to
move his family from their
home of eight years fol-
lowing the placement of
oil on his lawn in early
May in the shape of a
swastika. That was fol-
lowed by a series of five
complaints to the Novi
A
police that the family's
dog was running loose in
the neighborhood.
Mr. Feldman, a teacher
in the Detroit Public
Schools, says, "My family
has been persecuted and
the police haven't done
much about it."
He believes the incidents
arise from a business dis-
pute with a neighbor.
Mr. Feldman is unhap-
py with what he says is
inaction by Novi police
and by Jewish organiza-
tions. The swastika scar-
ring his lawn is now
accompanied by a For Sale
sign.
Police Detective Dennis
Jelley said there have
been no new leads in the
case. He said, "I'm doing
everything I can to find
out who did it," including
T
meeting at 6:30 p.m. July
22.
Both courses will be led
by social worker Sheri
Loeb.
"The classes will give an
introduction to what we
think parents would like
and what they tell us
they're interested in," said
Parenting Center Director
Ruth Beresh.
Regular classes will be
established following the
introductory sessions.
There is no fee, but
those interested are asked
to make reservations. Call
Kimberly at the Parenting
Center, 681-5353.
Kunter's main partners in
the enterprise.
Other Detroit connec-
tions include a $29,000
gift from the Ben Teitel
Charitable Trust. That
money, given in May of
1991, enabled Drs. Kutner
and Loewenthal to per-
form 45 cataract surgeries
and 67 laser operations in
Israel in a period of five
days.
The money will be
administered by the
endowment fund of the
Atlanta Jewish Federa-
tion.
Project Vision currently
funds equipment and
training for Kupat Cholim
Clalit's Lin Clinic, a
Naharia facility that
treats new immigrants
and veteran Israelis not
able to afford private care.
At the heart of Project
VISION is bringing
American opthalmologists
to Israel to help teach
their Israeli counterparts
the latest developments in
their field. The
Americans, after receiving
a temporary license in
Israel, also perform
surgery and other proce-
dures.
Project VISION was ini-
tially greeted with skepti-
cism by some in the
Israeli care community.
he Shaarey Zedek
Parenting Center is
set to hold introducto-
ry meetings later this
month for first-time par-
ents 35 and older, and for
parents of premature
infants.
The class for those 35
and older will be held 8-
9:15 p.m. July 22. Parents
of premature infants are
invited to an introductory
E
fforts to meet the
immense medical
needs of Russian,
Ethiopian and other immi-
grants to Israel will be
boosted by a $1 million
grant from an anonymous
foundation to a group that
provides eye care and
other medical services in
northern Israel.
The money was received
last week by Project
VISION (Visual Services
for Israelis and Olim
Now), which was started
in 1991 by Atlanta's
Dr. Stephen Kunter.
Drs. Larry Loewenthal
and Jay Novetsky of
Detroit have been Dr.
UMW Way
calling in the FBI crime
lab. "Mr. Feldman proba-
bly thinks we don't take
him seriously, but we
don't want this happening
in our town."
The detective said the
loose-dog complaints have
been turned over to the
prosecutor's office for
review to determine if
they constitute harass-
ment.
Some did not want to
admit that their health
care industry — often
seen as highly sophisticat-
ed — did not effectively
reach outlying areas and
underprivileged popula-
tions.
Prior to the program's
work, waits of more than
one year for cataract
surgery and other
procedures were not
uncommon. The waiting
list has now been reduced
in some areas to a matter
of weeks. Ironically, as
work of the program's
success has spread,
waiting lists are creeping
up again.
Cr)
rn
>"
-J