Frank Mamat

away," Mr. Mamat says.
"Mike Ilitch seems to be the
only one helping.
"It is one of the country's
largest cities and there is
nothing left," he says. "Both
Wendy's and McDonald's
have closed. It is a shame to
let this city go down. There
are no stores. It is not safe.
The police department is a
mess. It is just a tragedy.
"This city needs a
change," Mr. Mamat says.
"And Sharon McPhail
doesn't owe anything to
anybody."
Gerald and Randie Levin
of Bloomfield Township also
are supporting Ms. McPhail,
whom they have known for
about 20 years.
"There is a growing sense
that the future of the city is

important for those in the
suburbs," says Mr. Levin,
executive director for
Orchard Children's
Services, a Southfield-based
social service agency that
works with many Detroit
children.
Though they do not live in
Detroit, the Levins feel con-
nected to the city. They rec-
ognize the importance of
maintaining an urban area
and making sure it's
vibrant.
James Rosenfeld grew
up in Detroit, and he would
consider moving back there.
He agrees with many of the
activists that the city and
the suburbs must be viewed
as one. The Detroit attorney
has lived in Washington
D.C. and in Boston.
"I really miss having the
kind of city that I was able
to enjoy when I lived in
Boston and Washington,"
Mr. Rosenfeld says. "I'm a
Detroit supporter. I see
potential. I get disgusted
when I look at vacant parts
of downtown.
"Dennis Archer has a lot
of ties to the Jewish commu-
nity," he says, adding that
the former Michigan
Supreme Court justice was
honored by Histadrut and
Israel Bonds. "He wants to
play down the racial politics
that have existed for so long
and invite those within and
outside of the city to help
get the region where it
should be." ❑

Love Lessons Taught
By Former Detroiter

LESLEY PEARL STAFF WRITER

Nita Tucker

N

ita Tucker isn't much
of a drinker, yet she
met her husband in a
bar.
Impossible? Maybe. But
the once-Nita Fisher was
willing to give anything a
try.
More than 12 years ago,
following a five-year dry
spell without even one date,

Rabbi Plaut To Lead
New Federation Dept.

RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER

Jonathan Plaut

California rabbi
is returning to
his native
Midwest to fill a
new role at the Jewish
Federation of Metro-
politan Detroit: plan-
ning programs that
target people before
their pocketbooks.
Rabbi Jonathan
Plaut — who start-
ed his rabbinical
career at Temple
Beth El in Wind-
sor, then moved to
Temple Emanu-El
in San Jose —
soon will relocate
in Detroit to
serve as the
director of Federation's

new department: Com-
munity Outreach and
Involvement.
The Federation designed
both the new position and
department in accordance
with its strategic plan pub-
lished last year. The plan
outlines steps Federation
must take to thrive into the
21st century.
Rabbi Plaut will be
responsible for designing
and supervising programs
that increase volunteer
involvement in Federation.
"Outreach and involve-
ment of more people in the
life of our Jewish community
is a key part of Federation's
strategic plan," said
PLAUT page 16

the former Detroiter
threw away all her pre-
conceived notions about
dating and started
over.
"People always say
things like, 'It (a rela-
tionship) will happen
when you're not look-
ing for it.' I looked at
the rest of my life
and I realized I
didn't wait for a
client to walk into
my office. Tickets
to Paris didn't
just appear in my
mailbox when I
least expected
them,"
Mrs.
Tucker said. "I
learned in manage-
ment when you don't know
what to do, do everything.
Try everything."
Mrs. Tucker will speak
about her success in finding
a relationship and her book
Beyond Cinderella — The
Modern Woman's Guide To
Finding A Prince Aug. 12 at
the Sheraton Oaks in Novi
and Aug. 13 at the Somerset
Inn in Troy. There is a
charge.
At 32, Nita believed - it
was time to find a relation-
ship. She pursued the idea
daily, asking to be set up,
going to bars (which she
hates to this day), eating
alone and smiling at every-
one.
Four months from the
beginning of her project,
Nita met her husband in
Seattle.
"I was smiling at this
man, not my husband-to-be,
but Tony, now my husband,
thought I was smiling at
him. We all laugh about it
still," Mrs. Tucker said.
In July, Nita and Tony
celebrated their 11-year
anniversary.
In between writing and
mothering, Mrs. Tucker
travels with
Beyond
Cinderella — The Modern
Woman's Guide To Finding
A Prince in attempts to help
others.
She wrote her book in
response to everything she
had read about being single.
All the literature talked
about either trying to "trap"
a man or about fixing what
is wrong in the woman.
Mrs. Tucker found it insult-
ing.

"Once upon a time there
used to be something wrong
with you if you weren't in a
relationship. Now there's
something wrong with you
if you admit you need and
want one. It makes you
sound co-dependent," Mrs.
Tucker said. "I tell people
it's OK to want someone to
love. It's like the rules have
changed and no one told
them (single people)."
Mrs. Tucker said people
need to expand their oppor-
tunities to meet others. In
college, everything is social
— from breakfast to chem-
istry lab.
"No one likes the dating
scene. It's fueled with rejec-
tion. But you have to view it
like going on a job interview
and doing what is necessary
to get the position," Mrs.
Tucker said.
"There's a real fear of

"No one likes
the dating
scene. It's
fueled with
rejection. But you
have to view it
like going on
a job interview
and doing what
is necessary."

commitment out there.
People want to put a rela-
tionship in a box after three
or four dates or after sex.
They don't give the relation-
ship room to grow or
breathe."
The book, and the semi-
nar, Mrs. Tucker said, dis-
cuss practical, common
sense.
"It's like, 'Oh, I'm in the
middle of a football field
with a basketball. No won-
der this isn't working.' I
think there is a real sense of
relief among people after
attending the seminar,"
Mrs. Tucker said.
Tickets for the semi-
nars can be purchased
through Ticketmaster or at
the door. ❑

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