Zti it: A

1

believe," he said. He noted that he is
only one generation removed from
Poland, where his father was born. His
education was first at Winterhalter
Elementary School in Detroit, fol-
lowed by Durfee Intermediate,
Central High, and the University of
Michigan.
He began his career in his father's
insurance business, and expanded
from there into real estate
development, the building
business in partnership with
the Holtzman and Silverman
Co. (Village Green Apart-
ments, etc.), and many
investments. Among the lat-
ter is his minority interest in
Palace Sports and
Entertainment, Inc., which
owns and operates the Palace
of Auburn Hills.
An ardent Democrat and
long-time financial supporter
of Democrat candidates —
he twice held $25,000-to-
$100,000-per-person fund-
raisers for Bill Clinton at his
sprawling Bingham Farms
estate — Hermelin first
learned of his possible
appointment about a year
ago from Clinton's appoint-
ments secretary.
"She told me I was being
considered for an ambas-
sadorship and discussed a
number of issues with me,"
he said. "I never sought or
campaigned for an ambassadorial post,
so the call was a surprise. A few days
later, she called back and said I was
being nominated for Norway. That
country was available at the time, and,
in someone's judgment, it was a good
fit for me. Congressional approval fol-
lowed quickly."
The hectic pace of business deals,
communal activities and charitable
and philanthropic work came to an
abrupt halt when he was appointed.
Accepting the post meant making
some sacrifices. The Norwegian
ambassador's salary is $115,000 per
year, a far cry from Hermelin's regular
income. And his substantial invest-
ments were moved into blind trusts —
not knowing where his money is
invested, he can make economic deci-
sions without conflicts of interest.
It was a major change for a man
who normally made four "power"
breakfast meetings almost every morn-
ing at a Telegraph Road restaurant,
lunch meetings on the go and often
several meetings, family occasions and

1/20
1998

42 Detroit Jewish News

The Challenges
Of Keeping
Kosher

1p

racticing Judaism is a bit
different in the land of the
midnight sun.
In the summer, when
it's daylight almost all of the time,
"it seems that Shabbos doesn't end
until Sunday night," said
Ambassador David Hermelin. In the

winter, when there is hardly any
daylight, Shabbat actually can begin
as early as 1:20 p.m. Friday.
"When people want to know
when Shabbos starts, I usually say:
`along about Wednesday,'" said
Hermelin.
Oslo has one synagogue, which is
Orthodox with separate seating for
men and women. The Hermelins
often attend services, led by a rabbi
who is a leader of a movement in
Israel that is in the forefront of
Orthodox for Pluralism.
"There's no seven-layer cake at
the Kiddush, but they serve fantastic
herring and salmon," Hermelin
quipped.
To help kasher the kitchen at the
official residence, the Hermelins
brought chef Mark David with them
from the Detroit area.
"We can buy some kosher prod-
ucts here," Hermelin said, noting
with some amusement that the only
kosher butcher is an Arab. But they
can't buy locally as much as their
busy entertainment schedule
requires, "so we get a continual sup-
ply of meat and other kosher foods
from Detroit area butchers and deli-
catessens.
"It's sort of like the Berlin airlift;
stuff is coming in here all of the
time."

❑

— Bill Carroll

social activities each evening.
Hermelin and his wife, Doreen,
who also has been active in communal
and charitable endeavors, both attend-
ed two weeks of intensive ambassador-
ial training seminars in Washington,
D.C., covering 15 topics ranging from
administration to security. He spent
10 more days meeting with State,
Department officials on specific for-
eign policy issues.
After a few farewell events in
December, including a Sabbath service
devoted to him at Congregation
Shaarey Zedek that produced hearty
laughter and thunderous applause — a
rarity in any synagogue — the
Hermelins headed to Norway. They
were accompanied by many of the
comforts of home — including some
of their children and grandchildren.
They moved into the American
ambassador's official residence, a huge
mansion in what could pass for the
"Bloomfield Hills" section of Oslo. It
was built in 1911 by architect Henrik

Bull for petroleum magnate Hans
Olsen, then sold to the U.S. govern-
ment in 1924 for $125,000. Hermelin
is the 17th U.S. ambassador to live
there, succeeding Thomas Loftus of
Wisconsin.
They brought with them some fur-
niture, paintings, photo albums and
the like to decorate the 25-room
building, which includes a huge main
hall, a large dining room, kitchen,
pantry, library, sitting rooms, grand
drawing rooms, many terraces, guest
bedrooms named after U.S. presi-
dents, a play room, a couple of wash-
ers and dryers, a staff room in the
basement — and a room filled with
nothing but closets. The household
staff includes an Oslo chef, three
maids, two gardeners (including a
Detroiter), drivers with three" vehicles,
and full-time security guards.
The Hermelins have already left
their mark on the residence with some
renovations, including adding a small
kitchen and dining nook upstairs to

give them more privacy for meals.
When they arrived, the place had one
television set. Hermelin provided six
more, mainly in the guest bedrooms,
"so that visitors can keep up with
world news.
Hermelin said it was easiest to
finance these changes and additions
himself. Overall maintenance of the
residence is paid for by the U.S. gov-
ernment, "but there are very tight
budgets and spending controls for
embassies," he said. "Getting money
isn't easy. All of the work is done by
bid, bid and re-bid."

"

Official Duties,

cial Parties

Embassy staff say Hermelin has
kept the joint jumping, with three or
four major events a week, including
business and cultural breakfasts,
lunches, dinners, receptions and just
plain social occasions. Staffers give
them good marks for knowing how to
entertain; "you can tell they've had a
lot of experience," said one assistant.