COMIIIIIITY VIEWS

At The Heart
Of Being Jewish

thing I've taken for granted. I grew up
in a very Jewish environment, secure
in the knowledge that it was the best
of all worlds. Why would I want less
for my offspring than I had experi-
know.
enced? Or that my parents
With some excitement, I
and grandparents had made
told her about Federation's
possible for me?
Alliance for Jewish Education
What if someone took
and what it will mean for the
away from us the very
future of our community.
essence of being an Ameri-
But why is this important?
can — our rights, our
she pressed. What difference
knowledge of our history,
does it make if we focus our
our learning and teaching of
efforts on continuity?
American values and tradi-
I had to stop to think.
tions? What if we were
Being involved in Jewish life,
PE NNY
absorbed into a world cul-
there are some things I just
BLUME NSTEIN ture with no connection to
assume. But why is it impor-
our past?
Spec ial to
tant to promote, ensure and
To me, that would be a
the Jew ish News
protect the future of Judaism
desolate prospect. For
for my children and grand-
whom would I be? What
children?
sort of character would I possess?
What kind of answer would satisfy
What roots would I have to distin-
my friend and reflect my deeply per-
guish myself? That is how I feel, too,
sonal feelings about Judaism?
about my Jewish identity — and that
Being Jewish has always been some-
is what I think is important to main-
tain for the future of my family and -
Penny Blumenstein is president of the
my community.
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
How will Federation's Alliance for

R

ecently, someone asked me
what was new at Federa-
tion. What was occupying
my time, she wanted to

Jewish Education and other initiatives
make this happen? By helping to edu-
cate, involve, inspire and connect all
of us — no matter our age, our gen-
der, our observance or our level of
learning.
Just as we are witnessing and sup-
porting a Jewish renaissance among
our once-decimated sister communi-
ties overseas, we have the ability to
bring about a local Jewish renaissance.
We can do so much to promote the
importance of being Jewish — think-
ing Jewish and living Jewish — to our
children and grandchildren, making
them want to be a living connection
from one generation
to the next.
Where do we get
the resources to
strengthen the Jewish
content of our lives?
How can we afford to
give a Jewish educa-
tion to every child and
Jewish experiences to
every family?
It will require out-
of-the-ordinary fund-
ing to fulfill our out-

of-the-ordinary dreams. But there's
nothing ordinary about our communi-
ty. I believe more people will want to
support our enterprise — through
Federation's Annual Campaign,
through the Millennium Campaign
and its Jewish Life Fund, through
endowments and capital gifts, and
through plain, old-fashioned tzedaka.
On Rosh HaShana and Yom Kip-
pur, we begin again. It is the essence
of our tradition, history and sense of
belonging.
To be a part of that legacy is what I
wish for my children and grandchil-
dren.

Detroit.

A Foundation For
Jewish Continuity

ing compounded interest, think of the
orget Y2K. Here it is Y5760
financial resources we'd be enjoying
— more than five millennia
today!
since the birth of the world.
Fortunately, we have the
Considering our
United Jewish Foundation to
long history, we Jews have
help do all those good things
experienced too much to
— and more — for our fam-
worry about blips on a corn-
ilies and our community.
puter screen.
Take the UJF's rainy-day
Still, even with all that
General Fund. Thanks to the
our ancestors bequeathed to
donors and prudent invest-
us, I wonder if they could
ments that have enabled that
have learned a thing or two
fund to grow, we've been
from the way we do things
able to address special situa-
today. Take their financial
ROB ERT
tions that would have
future, for example.
SLAT KIN
drained our community's
Couldn't Noah have used
Speci al to
resources.
a rainy-day fund?
the Jewis h News
Then there's the UJF role
Wouldn't King Solomon
as landlord — acquiring and
have appreciated some seed
maintaining properties on
money to help build the Temple?
behalf of our agencies. And the UJF as
And what about Abraham? Surely,
banker — providing seed money to
he could have provided for all those
build our communal institutions and
generations to come by endowing
investing endowment funds for
Jewish community programs. Includ-
donors who wish to ensure the Jewish
future while receiving tax benefits.
Working with the Jewish Federa-
Robert Slatkin is president of the
tion,
the UJF provides a financial base
United Jewish Foundation of Metropol-
for vital programs. These programs

111

itan Detroit.

9/10
1999

include the revolving
fund that provides
homebuyer incentive
loans in Oak Park and
Southfield (the Neigh-
borhood Project) and
the start-up costs and
land for a center to
help people with
Alzheimer's disease
Jewish Detroiters, on the annual Walk for Israel, this year
(the Jewish Commu-
held in Oak Park in June.
nity Adult Day Care
Program).
being Jewish and to bring our young
The United Jewish Foundation is
adults closer to their faith and their
one of those well-kept secrets that
culture. The Jewish Life Fund is an
deserves to be shared so all of us can
affordable way for each of us to leave
enjoy the best from Jewish life.
a legacy.
Our vibrant community exists
For 100 years, the United Jewish
because the generations before us pro-
Foundation has protected and
vided for us. Their legacy was a net-
strengthened our Jewish community.
work of institutions, agencies and pro-
We have reason to take pride in our
grams that we've nurtured through
achievements and reason to hope for
our own foresight and hard work.
an even brighter tomorrow.
We, in turn, must do the same for
Perhaps one day, Y2K will carry a
future generations.
unique meaning when our children
That's why the UJF and Federation
and grandchildren consider the final
have established the Jewish Life Fund:
year of this millennium. They will
to educate our children, to encourage
know it as Y2K — the year to kvell.
our families to experience the joys of

