Trees In Detroit
Funded By JNF

ALAN HITSKY ASSOCIATE EDITOR

ewish National Fund is the
most successful reforesta-
tion program in the world,"
Denise Wecker-Seipke said.
"And these 600 trees give us a
heck of a shot in the arm."
Ms. Wecker-Seipke is execu-
tive director of the Greening of
Detroit, a 5-year-old organization
planting 3,000 trees a year in the

j

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Across Coolidge from The Somerset Collection

3001 West Big Beaver Road • Troy, MI 48084 • (810) 649-1122 • 800-SCHUBOT(AZ;)

was instrumental in bringing the
Archers to JNF and involving the
organization with the Greening
of Detroit efforts, said Ed Rosen-
thal, executive director of JNF.
Mr. Robinson and Mr. Rosen-
thal met with the Archers and
their staffs at the Top of the
Pontch downtown. "We pleaded
with them to get out and support

Above:
JNF officials,
Including Jack
Robinson, and
Greening of
Detroit officials
watch the
Archers plant a
tree.

Right
Byron Saunders
prepares a
seedling with
the help of
forester David
Mindell.

PHOTOS BY
GLENN TRIEST

city. On Monday, with the help
of a $3,000 grant from JNF, 600
trees were planted by Davison
Elementary School children.
The trees will be cared for by
the students for five years, then
be transplanted throughout the
city.
JNF usually plants trees in Is-
rael, and the support for Green-
ing of Detroit came out of the
organization's Oct. 6 Tree of Life
Award dinner honoring Detroit
Mayor Dennis Archer and his
wife, Judge Trudy Archer.
Judge Archer is founding vice
president of Greening.
Jack Robinson, Perry Drugs
CEO and a JNF past president,

the Tree of Life Award and Is-
rael," Mr. Robinson said. He then
asked Mr. Rosenthal if JNF could
help Detroit, too.
Permission was received from
national JNF in New York, and
the grant to Greening of Detroit
was announced at the Oct. 6 din-
ner.
Monday's ceremonies at Davi-
son Elementary were attended
by the Archers, Detroit city and
school administrators and Jew-
ish leaders.
"It's really exciting that we in
the Jewish community can give
back to the city of Detroit," Mr.
Robinson said. "So many of us are
planted there." ❑

