Machon L'Torah Continues
Ann Arbor Construction

Paul D. Borman's
Judgeship Confirmed

PHIL JACOBS EDITOR

JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER

1m

achon L'Torah's
The center will be
much anticipat-
used as a place of
ed Jewish Re-
Jewish outreach to the
source Center of
University of Michi-
Ann Arbor is still in the
gan's 6,000 Jewish stu-
construction stages with
dents. It will also serve
an I end-of-the-yearopen-
as an outreach post for
ing targeted.
nearby Eastern
The center, which is lo-
Michigan University
cated at 1335 Hill Street
in Ypsilanti.
in a home registered with
Rabbi Avraham
the Ann Arbor Historic
Jacobovitz, Machon's
District Commission, is
executive director, will
undergoing interior ren-
continue to hold
ovations. This includes
classes and lectures
the construction of the
around campus until
Shiffman lecture hall on
the facility is complet-
the bottom level and sev-
ed. Machon is also
eral third-floor dorm
searching for an Ann
rooms.
Arbor administrator.
Machon purchased
The Ann Arbor build-
the 100-year-old home Renovations are happening at 1335 Hill
ing initially will be
from Delta Epsilon Street.
staffed by Rabbi
fraternity for $215,000.
Jacobovitz about three
Because it is on the Ann Arbor Historic days a week. Machon will offer classes to
District Commission registry, the home, U-M students and Ann Arbor residents.
originally called the Farwell Wilson Religious services will not be held at the
House, cannot be changed on its exterior. facility.

B'nai David Membership
To Vote On Merger Plan

ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR

T

he membership of
Congregation B'nai
David has been giv-
en the chance to de-
cide its own destiny.
On Aug. 17, the syna-
gogue's board voted 14-12
to place the merger plan
with Congregation B'nai
Moshe before the entire
membership.
The board had voted for
the plan in July by a vote
of 15-11, with four absten-
tions, but 16 votes were

needed at that meeting for
passage. At a non-binding
vote of the congregation in
August, the merger was
supported by a 3-1 margin.
Proponents of the merg-
er estimate it will be 4-6
weeks before the two con-
gregations vote on the plan.
Michigan law stipulates
that incorporated entities
planning to merge must
vote at the same time.
B'nai Moshe's board unan-
imously approved the plan
Aug. 25. B'nai
David's board
also voted Aug.
17 to waive
membership
dues until after
the congrega-
tion votes on
the merger
plan. Without
the waiver,
B'nai David
members would
have been re-
quired to pay

dues for next year to be el-
igible to vote. If the merg-
er is approved, B'nai David
members will not pay dues
to the merged congregation
until November 1995.
Both congregations have

p

aul D. Borman
was recently con-
firmed as a feder-
al district judge
for the Eastern District,
of Michigan.
He joins Avern Co-
hen, Bernard Friedman
and Nancy Edwards as
the fourth Jewish judge
currently sitting on that
bench. He will be sworn
in on Sept. 12.
In April, Mr. Borman
was nominated to the
position by President

Paul D. Borman:
Other side of the bench.

Task Force Sponsors
Endowment Programs

RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER

T

he Jewish Federa-
tion of Metropolitan
Detroit sponsored
the first in a series of
three educational seminars
on endowment programs
for local temples and syn-
agogues.
The Aug. 11 seminar,
which attracted 51 people
representing 13 congrega-
tions, comes at a time

A vote of both

congregations is
expected in 4-6
weeks.

made provisions for the
High Holidays for B'nai
David members. B'nai
David will host services at
the Maple/Drake Jewish
Community Center, led by
Rabbi Morton Yolkut.
B'nai Moshe will permit
B'nai David members to
purchase reduced-fee tick-
ets. The fee will be applied
to the 1995-96 dues if the
merger is approved.

Bill Clinton. The Senate con-
firmed the nomination last
month.
Mr. Borman, of West
Bloomfield, worked as a fed-
eral prosecutor in the U.S. At-
torney's Office before moving
into his current role as chief
federal defender.
He is a past president of the
Jewish Community Council
and has been involved in Jew-
ish Federation activities.

when many temples and
synagogues are experienc-
ing a loss of membership
and a corresponding drop
in revenue from dues.
Members of Orthodox,
Conservative, Reform and
Humanistic congregations
attended the Federation
seminar to learn more
about assuring a healthy

fiscal future for their tem-
ples and synagogues.
Endowments are cash
accounts, the interest from
which is used to support
different operations with-
in organizations. The prin-
cipal of the account
generally is reserved for
emergencies.
"An endowment is a way
for congregations to pro-
vide for their con-
tinuation and
stability," said Jim
Jonas, co-chair-
man of the Feder-
ation-Synagogue
Task Force. Chair-
man is Harold
Berry.
The task force,
which began last
January, aims to
cultivate closer ties
between Federa-
tion, synagogues
and temples in
hopes of building
on the others'
strengths.
'We're trying to increase
the cooperation and dia-
logue between Federation
and synagogues and help
each other," Mr. Jonas
said. "One of the critical
points for both is financial
survival."
The Federated Endow-
ment Fund manages more

than $100 million. FEF
Chairman Norman Pappas
and Director Joseph Im-
berman, along with fea-
tured speakers Donald
T ansky and Linda Wasser-
man Aviv (both attorneys),
instructed seminar partic-
ipants on ways to spear-
head endowments at their
own congregations.
Thomas Jablonski, ex-
ecutive director of Temple
Beth El in Bloomfield Hills,
says his congregation is
half-way to reaching an en-
dowment goal of $7 million.
Endowments, he said, are
especially important these
days because membership
nationwide is on the down-
side — along with dues.
More stringent tax policies
on fund-raisers also make
times especially tough on
congregations, he said.
Arthur Weingarten, past
president of Temple Beth
El in Windsor, says he
looks forward to the next
seminar, scheduled for 0,
Nov. 2, during which he T.
hopes to learn even more C
about endowments. His cc
,
congregation started one in cc)
the 1980s.
"(Endowments) are in-
vestments. They're not a
guarantee of financial sta- '
bility, but they're hugely
useful," he said.

39