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Community
Calendar
page 47
After merging with
Grace Hospital, the
Sinai building in
Detroit echoes with
prominent Jewish name
The imposing front entrance of Sinai Hospital on West Outer Drive was a familiar sight.
SAM ENGLAND
Special to the Jewish News
?If
rom its opening in 1953
through the hard finan-
cial times that led to its
1997 sale, Sinai
Hospital has maintained a dis-
tinctly interdependent relationship
with Detroit Jewry.
In the 44 years of its indepen-
dent existence, the hospital both
served and benefited from this
community — ties that suffered
markedly as the city's Jewish popu-
lation largely moved out to the
suburbs and began patronizing
hospitals closer to home.
Symbolizing the former rela-
tionship was a hospital brimming
with donations from, and tributes
to, hundreds of area benefactors.
Now, three years after the Detroit
Medical Center purchased Sinai
distributed by the Sinai Heritage
for $65 million, eventually leading
Committee to almost 3,000 Sinai
to its merger with nearby Grace
affiliates, including donors, work-
Hospital, the original hospital
ers and members of the hospital's
building in northwest Detroit
guild.
stands vacant. No one uses its
"Over the years, many members
wards, clinics, lounges and kosher
of the Jewish community gave
kitchen — many of
their time, tal-
which bear the
a:
ent and dollars
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names of promi-
to make Sinai
.
nent Jewish philan-
• to
Hospital a
thropists.
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unique institu-
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"Ever since it
tion."
was announced
In the aftermath of last
The letter
that the Sinai
outlines
efforts
year's hospital merger,
Hospital building
under way to
was going to close,
the Detroit Jewish com-
honor Sinai's
the issue of preserv-
major donors,
munity contemplates
ing the Sinai her-
including con-
itage became
how to honor the legacy
struction of a
important to all of
wall listing the
of Sinai Hospital's bene-
us," begins a
names of people
factors.
November letter
and organiza-
A
tions that contributed at least
$1,000 to the hospital. The wall,
expected to be installed early this
year, will stand in "a prominent
location" in both of Sinai's cur-
rent buildings — at Sinai-Grace
on West Outer Drive (the former
Mt. Carmel Hospital) and
Huron Valley Sinai Hospital in
Commerce Township.
Also planned is a display of
photographs documenting most of
the old building's facilities that are
named for donors. Donated art-
work will be exhibited at Detroit
Medical Center branches, includ-
ing both Sinai locations.
Merle Harris, former chairman
of the Sinai Hospital board and a
member of the Sinai Heritage
Committee, which authored the
letter, explained, "It was our desire
to maintain the name Sinai and
37