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Edward Meer, whose donation helped
make the new early childhood center
a reality, is shown with 5-year-old
kindergarten students Tova Miriam
Eizelman, Necha Esther Levitz, Esther
Feuer and Galitie Avigayil Grossbard.
The center will make a great differ-
ence in reducing overcrowding at the
school's.main building, while provid-
ing a special place for the noisy,
messy learning activities that
preschoolers need.
This is not the first time the Meer
family has made sizable donations to
the cause of Jewish education.
Recently, the family paid for a new
science lab at the Sally Allen
Alexander Beth Jacob School for Girls
in Oak Park, also run by the Yeshiva.
The Norma Jean and Edward Meer
Jewish Apartments, a 100-unit corn-
plex to be built for seniors on the
Eugene and Marcia Applebaum Jewish
Community Campus in West
Bloomfield, is another product of the
family's philanthropy. The Meer con-
tribution was $1.5 million.
Edward Meer, founder of the
Canton-based dental supply company
that bears his name, toured the early
childhood building last week with
some of the children who will go to
school there later this fall. The
Bloomfield Hills resident is a quiet
T., man, not given to long speeches or
self-promotion. His enthusiasm for
the new building is tempered by grief
over the death of his wife in January.
"We were cently set," he said.
We didn't neec the money, so we
decided to helf out.
Completion of the 15,500-square-
foot building s' .ould cost just under
$1.6 million. A :cording to Howard
Neistein, plane ng director for the
ing is located next to Yeshiva Beth
Jewish
Federati n of Metropolitan
Yehudah's Milton and Lois Shiffman
Detroit,
the $1 million Meer contri-
Boys Building, on Lincoln Road west
bution was supr lemented by about
of Greenfield in Southfield.
$100,000 of in- zind donations from
The Meer Early Childhood
vendors. A $550,000 loan taken by
Development Center will serve about
the United Jewish Foundation,
150 children, both boys and girls.
Federation's real estate/banking arm,
on behalf of the school provided the
remaining funds. The loan brings
the total to slightly more than what's
needed for the Meer Center; the
remainder will be used at other
Yeshiva properties, Neistein said.
The school and Federation will split
new
building
next
to
Yeshiva
repaying the loan.
A
The early childhood center is
Beth Yehudah will serve the
made up of 10 classrooms surround-
Orthodox community's nursery
ing a central meeting area. Each room
has its own external doors leading to
school students and kindergartners.
The dedication is Sunday for the Norma Jean and Edward
Meer Early Childhood Development Center.
DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer
T
he water isn't turned on
yet, there's no heat in the
pipes and footsteps echo
across floors that are still
awaiting carpet. It might be a good
idea to keep your coat on when you
tour the Norma Jean and Edward
Meer Early Childhood Development
Center.
By the beginning of November,
officials at Yeshiva Beth Yehudah hope
to begin classes at the new building,
which will house 10 nursery and
Diana Lieberman can be reached at
(248) 354-6060, ext. 247, or by
e-mail, dlieberm @thejewishnews. corn
10/22
1999
_
16 Detroit Jewish News
kindergarten classrooms. The center's
dedication takes place at 12:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 24.
"It's not an opening, because we're
obviously not ready to open," said
Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, the Yeshiva's
executive director.
Instead, Sunday's event
will be a tribute to Edward
and the late Norma Jean
Meer. His contribution of
about $1 million made the
whole idea possible.
"We wanted to show our
appreciation. and Mr. Meer
will be leaving for Florida
before we are ready to open
the building for classes,"
Rabbi Mayerfeld said.
The new preschool build-
) )