THE JEWISH NEWS 13 FRONT This Week's Top I Out Of The Building Stories ark .01,4,010 The JCC moves executive Mort Plotnick into a Southfield office building. 0 - 1 11141i111 ,14 JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER he Jewish Commu- nity Center wanted Morton Plotnick to focus solely on generating funds for the financially strapped agency, so last week Dr. Plot- nick was moved into a leased South- field office. `The return will be worth the investment," Dr. Plotnick said. "The feeling was this would be the best move for the agency at this point. This allows me to put all my energies toward produc- ing revenue and the capital campaign so we can be off of dead center sooner rather than later." Dr. Plotnick is working close- ly with the Jewish Federation Morton Plotnick: Moved to Southfield. on the commencement of a cap- ital campaign for the JCC and is planning the upcoming Kids Fair, to be held at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Jan. 28, and the JCC's May golf outing and car raffle. "When we look at the poten- tial for fund development, it out- weighs cost for him to function in a proper way," said Mark Davidoff, Federation's chief fi- nancial officer. Federation and Center offi- cials maintain it will be less con- fusing for JCC staff who were used to working with Dr. Plot- nick when he was in a supervi sory role. JCC Executive Director Leah Aim Kleinfeldt confirmed that the JCC is paying rent for Dr. Plotnick's office in the Ameri- Center building on 12 Mile Road near Northwestern but would not give a dollar amount. However, an official with AmeriCenter said depending on the size and location of an office, monthly rent ranges between $600 and $1000. Center and Federation offi- cials say the move made more sense than giving Dr. Plotnick another office in the Maple- Drake building or moving his office to the Jimmy Prentis Mor- ris building. Ms. Kleinfeldt will still su- pervise Dr. Plotnick and plans to meet with him on a week- ly basis. Last March, after almost two decades of supervising the day-to-day operations of the JCC as the executive di- rector, Dr. Plotnick assumed the title of executive vice president/director. He.began devoting a majority of his time to generating money for the JCC through fund raising, endowments, spon- sorships and long-range planning. At that time, his office was relocated from the executive office to another part of the Maple-Drake building. Although Dr. Plotnick's fo- cus over the last several months has been on fund raising, he continued to super- vise building maintenance and personnel. Ms. Kleinfeldt said the Center planned to relieve Dr. Plotnick of the supervision of everyday functions at the agency this month and al- low Chris Lewis, the director of operations, to assume those roles. Although Ms. Lewis an- nounced late last month that she would be leaving the JCC, officials still felt the move was in the Center's and Dr. Plot- nick's best interest. O The Joys of the Sabbath bg Fran Nianush k n iilwiraled Jacqueline Chwast 0 ma as ma van 4001 )1 0... ' ..®r _de .41.:4110°.411P,A111r41.111111kew 111111 1111111. tompi".1, 4,7 MU 1111111111111111 ionvow MINS NM mina 1•11111 MINI* ia141111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111ma: , , ess Men Es um an as an All 16111114e a anasarosansmammao anwassotimammain TEIPPIJIMEMILHINN ELIEL n e.121-raillrillulakala Turn Off The TV, Turn On The Flashlight A new Beth El program aims to get children reading. ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM ASSOCIATE EDITOR E ach night when she was supposed to be going to sleep, a little girl named Annie would crawl into bed and get all cozy under the blankets. Then she would turn on her flashlight and open the door to an enchanted world of - princesses and pioneer families and adventurous children. In the late 1950s the world ex- panded, with new books all about the State of Israel. Those were Annie's favorites. Today, Annie Friedman is ed- ucation director at Temple Beth El. Her dream is to see more children reading, as she did so often as a girl, and fewer in front of the television. So she decided to revive a long-forgotten tradi- tion at Beth El and host a chil- dren's book fair, as well as initiate a reading contest for stu- dents in the temple's religious school. "We want to instill an idea in a very young age group that reading is important," Above: The Sunday pro- es the need for par- Mrs. Friedman said. gram also will feature ents to teach their. "A child brought up new Jewish books. children morals and " with books will al- Below: Author lna Fried- values, and tells how ways read." man will speak on heroes this can be done. The The book fair will of the Holocaust. one-hour program, be held Sunday, Jan. for parents, begins at 21, at Beth El and 9:45 a.m. will feature authors The book fair run s Tna Friedman and Dr. from 9:30 a.m. to Reuven Bar-Levay. 12:30 p.m. All events Ms. Friedman will are open to the pub- discuss her book Fly- lic at no charge. ing Against the Wind, Books will be for the true story of Cato sale at the fair, but Bontjes van Beek, a Mrs. Friedman will young German Chris- be happy enough if tian who risked her not a one is gone by life to save Jews the end of the day. and others targeted by the "The goal is reading," she stress- Nazis. The program, for 4th-6th es. "It is not selling." graders and their parents, will As she prepares for Sunday's be from 11 to 11:45 a.m. event, Mrs. Friedman sorts Dr. Bar-Levav, a local resi- through a large box of books; she dent who has practiced psychi- is genuinely delighted with each. atry for more than 30 years, will "Look at this," she says, pick- speak on his book Every Fami- ing up Starlight and Candles. ly Needs a C.E.O., which stress- READING page 10 _