The World

To Max, With Love,
From Israel

In Jerusalem, dignitaries salute Detroit's Fisher as "a great Jewish patriot.

Jerusalem

T

he Israeli prime minister,
the mayor of Jerusalem,
American Jewish leaders
and hundreds of other
well-wishers gathered at the Israel
Museum Sunday night to pay tribute
to Detroit philanthropist and elder
statesman Max Fisher in honor of his
90th birthday.
Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu called him "a mentsh, a
friend and a wonderful human
being." He said Fisher is "one of the
great Jewish patriots of our time."
Between musical interludes by the
New Israel Chamber Ensemble, one
luminary after another rose to the
podium in a heated tent to heap
accolades on Fisher for his contribu-
tions to the Jewish people and to
strengthening the U.S.-Israel relation-
ship. Fisher is the only man to have
headed the three national Jewish
fund-raising agencies over the years
— the United Jewish Appeal, the
United Israel Appeal and the Council
of Jewish Federations.
He also has served as a behind-the-
scenes adviser to a series of prime
ministers and often used his access to
a host of Republican U.S. presidents
on behalf of Israel. Seated as he was
during the tribute between
Netanyahu of the Likud party and
former Prime Minister Shimon Peres
of the Labor party, Fisher managed to
demonstrate his penchant for uniting
different Jewish factions.
"There will never be a Jewish leader
as Max Fisher was or is," said Ehud
Olmert, mayor of Jerusalem. "There
never has been a more powerful, influ-
ential or important leader more help-
ful to the state of Israel in the whole
world than Max Fisher." He recalled
conducting conversations with Fisher
at the King David Hotel wearing gas
masks during the Persian Gulf War.
Cindy Mann is editor of the Atlanta
Jewish Times, sister publication of The
Jewish News.

Said Netanyahu, "Max Fisher is one
of the few things Israelis are unanimous
about." He said Fisher has a "formida-
ble intelligence" and "an exceptional
Jewish heart," and that he "always
knew that he had an avocation, that he
had to care for his people."
Calling him a counselor of presi-
dents and of all the prime ministers
of Israel, Netanyahu said Fisher "gives
you a laser bolt of advice that never
fails." He said Fisher "understands
leaders especially well because he is a
leader himself."

father "believed in leading by example."
"Daddy," she said, "you have guar-
anteed the future of the Jewish peo-
ple" and "had a major part in the
vision of this country."
Robert Aronson, executive vice
president of the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit, also saluted
Fis‘her for his vision, his leadership
and his accomplishments. "Our
future as a worldwide Jewish people,
as our past, is about leadership. This
is the quality which Max personifies
— that rare kind of leadership which

Pho to by Israel Hadari.

CINDY MANN
Special to The Jewish News

))

Monday—Saturday 10-6
Thursday 10-9

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sarah, left, and Simoh
Peres, right, were among the well-wishers honoring Max Fisher.

For his part, Peres said that Fisher
"played a central role in making the
White House a friend of Israel."
The _tribute was sponsored by the
Jewish Agency for Israel, the princi-
pal recipient in Israel of funds
raised by the UJA/Federation sys-
tem, during the Agency's annual
Assembly. Fisher played a key role
in reforming the Agency in the early
`70s, allowing for unprecedented
partnership between Diaspora Jews
and Israelis in the governance struc-
ture.
One of Fisher's daughters, Jane
Sherman of Detroit, a member of the
Jewish Agency's Board of Governors,
gave an emotional speech, saying her

brings people in and makes us feel I.
valued and part of something greater '-
than ourselves."
After stepping up to the podium
gingerly, with the aid of a cane and of
Avraham Burg, chairman of the
Jewish Agency, Fisher thanked the
crowd effusively. "You gave me the
opportunity to serve you," he said.
"It's the greatest mitzvah," adding,
"The Jewish people is the symbol of
my life.
"There's a great future ahead for
the Jewish people," he continued.
"The Jewish communities need a
strong Israel. At 90, I want to contin-
ue the work I've always done."

❑

UNDER
ONE ROOF

Rochelle Imber's

Knit,

ACCENTS
IN NEEDLEPOINT

Contemporary
Designs

626-3042

IN THE ORCHARD MALL
WEST BLOOMFIELD

Detroit Jewish News

11

19

31