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1 ADAR II 5755/MARCH 3 , 1995
Kindling Renewal
Clo se UP
1
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Menorah House continues to evolve amid challenges,
concerns and a lawsuit.
RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER
13
reeting residents by their first names, daily basis. The Medilodge Group invested many
nursing-home administrator Dennis thousands of dollars in new meat and dairy uten-
Hayes walks down the halls of Menorah sils. There also are new refrigerators, counters
House. Smiling, one elderly woman ap- and stoves.
proaches in a wheelchair to show off her
The only renovations still needed are painting
new hairdo.
and tiling the main-floor dining room. Mr. Hayes
Mr. Hayes says Menorah
PHOTO BY GLENN TRIEST forecasts completion in two
House, a new nursing home
weeks.
in Southfield, is making
The new, volunteer-run
progress toward fulfilling its
"Nosh Nook" snack bar and
promise as the Jewish corn-
gift shop cater to residents
munity's replacement for
and guests. Medilodge has
Borman Hall.
constructed a room for a syn
But Citizens for Better
agogue. The Jewish
Care, a Michigan nursing-
Federation of Metropolitan
home watchdog group, main-
Detroit has furnished the
tains that Menorah House
chapel with an ark, Sefer
has a long way to go, and a re-
Torah and podium.
cent lawsuit charges the
Services, thus far, have
home with neglect.
taken place in the upstairs
Farmington Hills resident
dining room, but will begin in
Herbert Schwartz is suing
the chapel as soon as
Medilodge, which owns the
Menorah House main-floor
home, over the Dec. 2, 1994,
renovations are complete.
death of his father, Jack
"We recognize the chal-
Schwartz, who lived there.
lenges faced in the transition
The nursing home's ad-
from Borman Hall to
ministration describes the fa-
Menorah House," says
tal accident as tragic and
Federation's chief financial of-
unfortunate, but adminis-
ficer, Mark Davidoff. "All in-
trators insist they receive
dications are that Menorah
mostly positive feedback Moric Berman sits in the Menorah Chapel.
House is meeting our expec-
about changes at the facility.
tations."
"The residents are really settling in and peo-
Zella Burstein's 99-year-old mother, Beckie
ple are acclimating quite nicely," Mr. Hayes says. Traub, entered Menorah House on Dec. 16, 1994,
New kosher kitchen facilities have been oper- from Borman Hall.
ating since early February. Orthodox Rabbi
"The first couple of weeks, I wasn't too thrilled
Hershel Klainberg supervises the kitchens on a MENORAH HOUSE page 8
Being Jewish
Is No
Special
Want to lead a religious and cultural existence?
Get ready for the opportunity cost of a lifetime.
RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER
Story on page 34
Hillel Decision
The day school's task force will announce its recommendation Tuesday.
Our readers'
phutographs of
Jewish Detroit.
Center
Grayling's Experience
A different culture
for teens from up north.
Page 14
Contents on page 3
JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER
Hillel Day School task force will soon
reveal its recommendation on
whether to move the school to the
Jewish Community Campus at
Maple and Drake roads.
At a special March 7 open board meet-
ing, task force chairman Jeff Garden will
inform the board of the task force's find-
ings on a variety of move-related issues and
give its recommendation.
The board will vote on the issue at the
regularly scheduled March 14 meeting. No
decision has been reached on whether that
meeting will be open.
The impetus for forming the task force
was a donation proposal from Oakland
Mall owner and developer Jay Kogan. In
A
December, Mr. Kogan told
Hillel fund-raisers that he
would give the school $5 mil-
lion if the school would relocate
from its current Northwestern
Highway and Middlebelt Road
site to the Jewish Community
Campus. He gave no public rea-
son for the stipulation.
The school is in the midst of
its Generations Campaign, an
$11 million fund-raising effort
that would expand the school's
endowment fund by $3 million
and finance a 28,000-square-
foot expansion. To be built at Jeff Garden: Recommendation
the rear of the present build- expected.
ing, it would add more
classrooms, a chapel and a
media center.
Not including the poten-
tial donation, $6 million has
been raised toward the $11
million goal.
About 35 people attended
a Feb. 23 meeting to learn of
the task force's fact-finding
process. Approximately one-
fourth of the audience did
not have children in the
school.
Noting that there were
many community members
HILLEL page 10