Allen Zemmol just finished a term as president of the
Jewish Community Council. He's ready to fall back
into the ranks.

JULIE EDGAR SENIOR WRITER

•

lien Zemmol and his father
used to engage in passion-
ate arguments about poli-
tics. Julius Zemmol was an
ardent Zionist; Allen was a fierce
liberal. Their views often clashed.
"I come from a background of
the Depression, and was an ado-
lescent during the war. It was a
period of a lot of idealism," Allen
Zemmol said.
As an adult, he got involved in
Democratic Party politics, twice
serving as a delegate to Democ-
ratic National Conventions and
holding national posts within the
Party.
That inevitably led to some
burnout, but Mr. Zemmol never
lost his fervor for social causes.
He'd always been interested in
Jewish communal activities, and
found a niche with the Jewish
Community Council of Metropol-
itan Detroit, an agency of the Jew-

ish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit that serves myriad affil-
iated organizations and acts as
the official mouthpiece of the Jew-
ish community.
The Council is also a political
entity in its own right, lobbying
in Lansing on behalf of its mem-
bers, hammering out policy ini-
tiatives and educating the
community on social issues
through forums.
"I'm a big believer in high-pro-
file Jewish involvement in the
larger community," he explained.
An attorney with Comerica
Bank, Mr. Zemmol just finished
his term as president of the 59-
year-old Council after serving as
vice president and as a board
member. Elected as new presi-
dent is Howard Wallach. Robert
Brown and Elaine C. Driker are
new vice presidents. During his
tenure, Mr. Zemmol saw an ex-

PHOTO BY DANIEL LIPPITT

Leaving The Helm

a Detroit high school. The Coun-
cil was also instrumental in
forming the Detroit Coalition for
Responsible Immigration Poli-
cy, which is sponsoring a series
of citizenship ceremonies for new
Americans. That the Council
represents so many other agen-
cies and synagogues — about
200 — enables it to pre-
sent a unified front to the
general community and to
draw on the resources of
constituent members.
'We want to be as broad-
ly based as we possibly
can," Mr. Zemmol said.
The Council comprises
a wide range of perspec-
tives, and there's plenty of
debate and dissension on
the board. But rarely is
there opposition to social
causes, Mr. Zemmol said.
The Federation, which
provides the Council's ap-
proximately $500,000 an-
nual budget, lets the
Council operate indepen-
dently, a point in which Mr.
Zemmol takes pride.
Mr. Zemmol, husband of Lita,
father of Miriam Wolock, Debo-
rah Minkoff and Jonathan and
grandfather of eight, plans to
volunteer for the Council and, as
outgoing president, will chair the
nominating committee. ❑

During the past year, the
pansion of the Council's role in the
general community. Today, me- Council has focused its attention
dia outlets call on the Council for on welfare reform and immi-
comment to round out stories re- gration policy — how they will
lated to Israel or the Jewish com- affect Jewish refugees from Rus-
munity, and other community sia, in particular, — and fight-
leaders look to the Council as a ing attempts by the state to
implement a school voucher sys-
paradigm of organization.
"Even the Chinese-American tem.
community has come to the
Jewish Community Council
for advice on organizational
strategy. Liberians, too.
They wanted to find some ef-
fective way to focus public at-
tention on the needs of their
community," Mr. Zemmol
said.
Another example of the
Council's good reputation in
the larger community: A
leader in Detroit's Hispanic
community told Mr. Zemmol
that with the relatively small
Hispanic population of
200,000, it is difficult to or-
ganize. The Jewish popula-
tion in the metro area is
Allen Zemmol: Devoted to the Jewish Community
about 96,000.
The Council has also bol- Council.
stered its own membership
Its activities ranged from
by becoming more inclusive. To-
day there are more board mem- "bridge building" between the
bers drawn from the Orthodox Jewish and other ethnic com-
and gay communities. And, Mr. munities in the metro area and
Zemmol can't recall a time when sponsoring trips to Israel for
so people in their 20s and 30s sat community leaders and for
African-American students from
on the board.

4 Seasons Fireplace Barbecue
BBQ SALE FREE ASSEMBLY LOCAL DELIVERY

BEMIS

FREE
LOCAL
DELIVERY
ALL PATIO

LAWN COMFORT
FURNITURE BY
BEMIS
RESIN EXQUISITELY DETAILED

t weber

LP GAS OR
NAT GAS BBQS

GENESIS 1000

479. 99

WITH TANK

BROILMASTER

DELUXE LP GAS
BBQs with tank

BROILMASTER

DELUXE NATURAL GAS
BBQ 40,000 BTU

$53 .99

D3 w/ post

D3$679 .

04

$599

D3
w/ PATIO BASE

AND GENEROUSLY PROPORTIONED
ERGONOMICALLY CONTOURED FOR
EXTRAORDINARY COMFORT AND
SUPPORT

SAVE NOW AN
ADDITIONAL
20%

II\ `if

las-

-

$569 .99

41). -et"i

111111 111

•_____..

1,.. 0 04 ' 15

ALL WEBERS ON SALE
INCLUDING SPECIAL
ORDERS
barbecue service & installation available

4 SEASONS- 30903 ORCHARD LAKE RD (248) 855-0303
(in Hunter Square between 13 & 14 Mile by TJ MAXX, AMAZING SAVINGS & THE GAP)
CLOSED SATURDAY Open Sunday 10 am-6 pm
Monday to Thursday 10 am-9 pm, Friday 10am-6pm
sale ends TUESDAY 6/10/97

MHP
Barbecue
parts for most

brands: cooking
grids, coal grates,
burners & more

save

20%

Bring in model #
or old parts

BARBECUE
SERV10E$35.00
FOR UP TO 35
MINUTES AT
YOUR HOME

LP TANK
EXCHANGE
FOR LIKE
TANK
FILLED
$10.00

("\

