PUBLISHER'S NOTEBOOK

Remembering Sinai's Broader Role

S

271 West Maple
Downtown Birminghani
248.258.0212

UNDER
ONE ROOF
Rochelle Imber's

Knit,

I

Knit

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626-3042

32

OPINION

A Mother's Love, A Mother's Anguish

As we boarded

855-2114

4/17
1998

lower Woodward Avenue corridor
community are huge. However, by
ince opening its doors in
with
their
move
from
welfare
to
taking a laser beam approach, with an
1953, Sinai Hospital has been
meaningful
jobs.
In
particular,
it
will
eye
toward programs that benefit
more than a place for Jewish
train
25
students
who
have
completed
young
people, he believes the Jewish
physicians to attain opportu-
high
school
and
partner
them
for
Fund
grants
can make a difference in
nities unavailable to them at other
positions
with
a
health
care
provider
"improving
their
chances of succeed-
area health care institutions. It is a
(DMC
also
is
playing
a
role
in
this
ing
in
society."
bricks-and-mortar statement
program).
There are some naysayers who
that commits the Jewish
• The Jewish Fund awarded
believe Sinai was built with Jewish
community to the well-
$98,990 toward start-up
philanthropic dollars and those funds
being of the larger commu-
costs
for
the
Neighborhood
should be used to "take care of our
nity.
Health
Empowerment
Cen-
own." However, in their wisdom, the
The Sinai nameplate is
ter.
Sponsored
by
the
trustees of the Jewish Fund realize
part of the Detroit Medical
Detroit
Initiative
Task
Force
that by taking care of those with
Center system and the Jew-
(a
project
of
the
Jewish
Fed-
health
needs in the general communi-
ish community is approxi-
eration
and
the
Jewish
Com-
ty
we
are,
in fact, "taking care of our
mately $60 million richer
munity
Council),
the
north-
own."
❑
with proceeds from the hos-
ART HUR
west Detroit-based
pital's January 1997 sale.
HO
R
WITZ
center
is to provide
While the money has been
health-related
activi-
Publ
fisher
placed into a special "Jewish
ties,
including
pro-
Fund" within the United Jewish
grams
on
substance
abuse,
Foundation, the fund's trustees have
hypertension, health screening,
not forgotten Sinai's broader role.
physician
referral and general
The trustees recently awarded
health
education.
approximately $1.8 million in,grants
• The Jewish Fund awarded
to 20 different agencies. While there
$15,000
to World Medical
were several high-profile grants within
Relief,
a
Detroit-based
organiza-
the Jewish community, including the
tion,
to
provide
prescription
-
creation of adult daycare services for
medications
to
50
additional
persons with Alzheimer's and other
low-income seniors in Wayne,
dementia disorders, an expanded
•
home support services program for the Oakland and Macomb counties.
• The Jewish Fund awarded
elderly, respite care for families caring
$60,000
to AIDS Partnership of
for relatives with developmental dis-
Michigan
to assist its most vul-
abilities and expanded services for
nerable
population
with a pro-
indigent Holocaust survivors, there
gram
that
provides
necessary
were also important grants that don't
staffing and outreach.
directly benefit the Jewish community.
Fund Chairman Mark
Cases in point:
Schlussel,
who was instrumental
• The Jewish Fund awarded
in
negotiating
the Detroit Med-
$60,000 to Detroit Neighborhood
ical
Center's
acquisition
of
and Family Initiative for its New
Sinai,
recognizes
that
the
Beginnings program. The program
health-related needs of the general An occupational therapist helps a young Sinai
assists low-income residents in the
patient.

IN THE ORCHARD MALL
WEST BLOOMFIELD

the El Al 747
bound for Tel
Aviv last sum-
mer, I thought
about how,
after all the
planning and
waiting, our
trip to Israel
SHELLI DORMAN was finally a
Special to
reality.
The Jewish News I looked over at

my very American family. We trav-
eled in new Reeboks, amidst beeping
Tamagachis, with the dream of being
able to eat kosher hamburgers from
Burger King for breakfast, lunch and
dinner.
I carried with me a fax from the
Jerusalem Hyatt, confirming the
plans for my daughter Stephanie's bat
mitzvah service. It contained very
unAmerican hotel questions about
such things as a podium for the
Torah, the amount of siddurim we

would need, and did we want the
chairs set up for separate seating.
Within a few days we settled in,
enjoying the cultural differences we
were experiencing. We laughed abou
how, at dinner, we ordered in perfect
Hebrew, but with atrocious accents,
drinks and an extra chair, and some-
how ended up having the waiter
bring us a telephone card, and then
Shelli Liebman Dorfman of West
Bloomfield is a proofreader for The
Jewish News.