Where We Live
ffnai ffrith seeks to highlight the best American cities for Jews to inhabit.
LYNNE MEREDITH COHN
Staff Writer
except word-of-mouth. We're trying to
put the word-of-mouth into print.
A seven-page survey was sent to
Jewish federations, regional B'nai
B'rith offices, B'nai B'rith Youth
Organization chapters, synagogues
and the B'nai B'rith Web site. Dr. Rela
Mintz Geffen, a sociologist at Gratz
College in Philadelphia, penned the
survey.
Schwartz-Kreger says, "Anybody
who wants to fill out a form is wel-
come to."
The survey went out in late sum-
mer. It covers singles and seniors, edu-
cation, Jewish institutions, synagogues
and chavurot, youth groups, kosher
establishments and stores, museums,
"
Et
ave you ever moved to a
new city and wished you
could learn about its
Jewish community before
committing? Well, by next summer,
you may be in luck — B'nai B'rith
International's Center for Jewish
Identity hopes to publish a guidebook
detailing the "best" places for Jews to
live in America by then.
To date, there has never been a
comprehensive guide to America's
Jewish communities, according to
Frank Strauss at the Council of Jewish
Federations. The idea came about
when a few young adults
at B'nai B'rith were "try-
ing to decide what do
VW'
....*
;,
:
with their lives, where to
;,,,,,,•I'VN•W
live — we wish we had
some kind of resource like
this, so B'nai B'rith
expanded the idea [to]
include information for
people of all ages," says
Robin Schwartz-Kreger,
director of press relations
at B'nai B'rith.
The book will show
"cities that are 'Jewish-
friendly,' good places for
Jewish people to live,"
says Barbara Stollman, the
Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Detroit Convention and Visitors Bureau
Bloomfield Hills-based
chairman of the Center for Jewish
libraries and life for Jewish gays and
them to access that material."
Identity.
lesbians.
Alterman planned to send the infor-
"If you have a choice of moving to
The survey also asks some tough
mation this week.
two different places, this particular
questions, such as: "In this era of frag-
"They wanted someone to respond
kind of survey might be helpful. It's
mentation, what is it that creates pride
to their questions about the vitality
like all the college application books
in your community?" and "How do
of the community, so community
that said which ones were Jewish-
members of your community
leader Gary Torgow answered the
friendly and [had] Jewish sorori- D etroit: A
welcome newcomers?"
questions that were based on personal
ties and fraternities — it's sort of g ood place
Thus far, Alison Greenberg,
opinion and personal belief," she
a catalogue of Jewish cities."
a BBYO staffer who is work:
or Jews?
adds.
When Stollman was growing
ing on this project, has
Answering the questions gave them
up, people stayed in their hometowns.
received one response from Detroit.
c`a real sense of appreciation of what
Today, she says, Jews are much more
She has heard from Jews in Florida,
Detroit offers — there's so much
mobile. And with mobility comes
New Jersey, California, Colorado,
here," Alterman says. "We really had a
assimilation.
Maryland and New York. The dead-
sense of pride after we finished."
"Today there aren't ghettos like
line for responding is Nov. 15.
The question, then, is can federa-
when I grew up. It's not a five-mile
Most of the responses have been
tions be objective? According to
radius where the Jewish people live.
positive, says Greenberg. "It takes a lot
Stollman, federations are a natural
I have a sister-in-law who moved to
of time to fill it out — if somebody
source of comprehensive community
Houston and lives in really a non-
doesn't like their city, why would they
information.
Jewish neighborhood. When they
take the time?"
"They certainly would be knowl-
moved, they didn't know and there
B'nai B'rith staffers will try to bal-
edgeable, and that's what we're looking
was nothing available to tell them,
ance the guidebook by conducting
for — knowledge," she says.
s's
Mort.-Sat. 10 - 6 Thurs. 10 - 9
Ifs All In The Mix
CONFIDENTIAL
- CASH!
Gold, Diamond and
Estate Jewelry.
Large Diamonds, Watches,
Sterling, Signed Costume
Jewelry. Antiques, Oriental
Rugs, Art Glass, 50s and
Classic Furniture. Complete
Estates. High Value Items.
TOP PRICES PAID!
Unlimited Resources
Call for private in-home or
bank vault appointment.
Andy Adelson
248-206-1100
iw i
1997
12
El
their own research to supplement
what they don't hear from residents,
Greenberg says.
Sharon Alterman, archivist at the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, says the survey went to
Charlotte Dubin, director of commu-
nications department, who circulated
it.
Several Federation staffers "put
together support materials that spoke
to all the categories. I'm sending them
a really big box of materials, an
archival manuscript box plus YAD-in-
a-Box [from the young adult division].
Rather than do a shoddy job, we
thought we'd hold off and package it
in such a way to make it easier for
:,;....*
• -•in..M ,P,?•W•
\,••'. ;'••• • •
•,:•,
❑
c_f