hen Marni Falk heard that Hil-
lel Day School was going ahead
with expansion plans rather than
moving, she jumped up and
down in her kitchen.
It wasn't that she had written
any letters or made phone calls
to the board members in an ef-
fort to sway the decision. She
didn't attend any of the board
meetings nor did she read the
task force report.
She can't; she's 5.
Marni was excited because
now she can enter the first grade
next year, knowing that she will
spend all of her elementary
school years in one place.
"I am certain this has been on
the minds of children and I am
sure they are as relieved as the
adults are," said Debbie Falk
Salinger, Marni's mom.

PHOTO BY GLEN N TRI EST

Marni Falk: Excited by decision.

Many current and future par-
ents of Hillel students applaud-
ed last week's board decision to
decline a $5 million gift propos-
al from developer Jay Kogan.
The school will stay at the Mid-
dlebelt campus and continue
with expansion plans rather than
move to the Jewish Communi-
ty Campus at Maple and Drake
roads.
As the news of the decision
spread through the community,
a ripple of support could be felt
for both the work of the task force
that studied the proposed move
and for the plans to go ahead
with an expansion of the exist-
ing building.
Vivian Honig, a Farmington
Hills parent with two children in
the school, is like many Hillel
parents who did not make phone
calls or write letters. She was
pleased with the decision and
praised the board for helping the
parent body heal from the divi-
siveness the issue caused.
"This decision was the recog-
nition that there were no winners
and there were no losers," she
said. "It was a brilliant solution
to a difficult problem."
And like many parents, she
was happy that the issue was
over.
"I know so many people who
were silently holding their
breath, hoping the school would
stay," she said.
"The longer they waited to give
a decision, the more firmly the
opposition became entrenched,"
Ms. Honig said. "If we are going
to be a community we have to
have unity."
Others, either with a prefer-
ence for the Jewish Community
Campus site or with no prefer-
ence, echoed her sentiments.
Raya Goldenberg Gontovnik
of Huntington Woods is typical
of those who didn't display great
angst while the task force de-
bated the issue. No less pleased
with the decision to stay, she did
not let a sigh of relief escape
when she heard the news.
"We had faith in the group of
people involved in the decision-
making process and knew they
would make the best decision for
the school," she said. "Now it is
time to move ahead together."
Ground-breaking for the ex-
pansion and renovation of the ex-
isting building will take place in
mid-June. ❑

Most Hillel Day School parents
seemed happy with the decision
to keep the school on
Middlebelt Road.

JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER

$5 Million Dollar Man

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Metropolitan Detroit, said Fed-
eration and the United Jewish
Foundation looked into the pos-
sibility of the school relocating
to the campus.
"We said we would be happy
to examine the site for suitabil-
ity," he said. "At no time did we
say that was the only site."
But Mr. Kogan's gift propos-
al began the work of the school's
fact-finding task force, the
months of study, the presenta-
tion of the findings and the en-
suing weeks of deliberations.
This process has continued
since December, often dividing
the parent body and com-
munity. Parents initiated a
letter-writing and telephone
campaign, targeting board
members responsible for mak-
ing a decision to move.
Then, it appeared to be over.
On April 11, the board of Hil-
lel adopted a statement which
essentially declined the offer.
The school will continue with
expansion plans, breaking
ground in June for a 28,000-
square-foot addition to the
building on Middlebelt near
Northwestern Highway.
But the quest to fund a new
building for the Conservative
day school is not finished for Mr.
Kogan, a developer and the
owner of several properties in
Oakland County. He still would
like officials to look into other
land sites, even as construction
begins on the expansion.
"When (the board) said it

wouldn't work at Maple and
Drake, I said, 'Fine,' " he said.
"I am not stuck on Maple and
Drake. Find another site closer
in so the people from Oak Park
and Southfield don't have to dri-
ve so far."
`The same $5 million is avail-
able," he said. "That's where it
stands."
Jeff Garden, second vice-pres-
ident of Hillel, said he was un-
aware of any further relocation
plans.
"If that is even going on, it is
happening beyond board and
executive committee level," he
said. "As far as I know, we are
planning to go ahead with the
expansion."
Despite efforts to have him
donate part or all of his original
gift to the school for the expan-
sion project, Mr. Kogan will not
budge. "Get me a site where
thousands of cars will pass by
and (the drivers will) say, That's
what the Jews did,' " he said.
"Middlebelt Road is not that
kind of a road. I am not crazy
about Middlebelt Road. It is a
narrow road."
"I am not crazy about the
building," he continued. "I won't
contribute my money there. I
think it is lost when you do it."
Since the announcement of
the board decision, Mr. Kogan
has heard from other school of-
ficials looking for a benefactor
to fund their projects.

$5 MILLION page 16

