Photo by Krista Husa

Elder Statesman

At 90, Max Fisher
still sees every day
as a time to build consensus.

JULIE EDGAR News Editor

BIC

scenes player. He mentions that he could have
ax Fisher has a relentless grip on the
present. At 90, he talks about the
accepted a Cabinet post in the Nixon
past only as it relates to his world
Administration but declined because, he said, he'd
rather be an advisor than an employee.
today. The future? Power is
He never sought the limelight, he said,
an ever-shifting phenomenon. Nothing is
Max Fisher
but did what made him feel good.
forever. And, there are no devils or saints,
en j oys
Supporting Jewish causes, among them.
he says.
a mo ment
A few weeks back, Fisher helped stitch
Chatting recently in his Franklin home,
at his party
together the merger of the United Jewish
a massive, blinking telephone at his side,
ju 1Y 9
Appeal/Council
of Jewish Federations at
Fisher's stockinged feet belied the grand
at the DIA.
their conference in Chicago.
stages he has strutted throughout his life-
Fisher still hosts the Allied Jewish
time and the fortune he amassed in the oil
Campaign kickoff at his home each fall for con-
refinery business. His conversation ranges from
the importance of Israel to the world, the power of tributors of $75,000 or more, pulling in between
$11 to $12 million. Bob Aronson, executive vice
the ultra-Orthodox there, the importance of
president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Jewish education, his alma mater, and his children.
Detroit, said the event is one of the biggest fund-
It is apparent that Fisher, whose birthday on
raisers in the country.
July 15 was celebrated with parties at the Detroit
Fisher's genius is in his ability to bring together
Institute of Arts and at the Ritz-Carlton in
disparate elements of the community under a
Dearborn with the likes of Henry Kissinger,
common ideal, Aronson said.
Gerald Ford, George Bush and Newt Gingrich, is
"I do not believe there will be another person
still very much an influence on the local, national
and international scenes. Sitting by a pool, he said, who brings together the attributes and people like
he has because of his personal ability, but also
is a "bore."
because of the times we've lived through: the cre-
Fisher remains the quintessential behind-the-

7/24
1998

98 Detroit Jewish News