Obituaries
Obituaries are updated regularly and archived on JN Online:
www.detroitjewishnews.com
A Man Of Caring And Daring
DAVID SACHS
Editorial Assistant
D
r. Milton Shiffinan made a
huge impact on the Detroit
Jewish community, an ever-
lasting impact, said Rabbi
E.B. "Bunny" Freedman of the Jewish
Hospice and Chaplaincy Network.
Dr. Shiffman, who with his wife,
Lois, made a $5 million grant through
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, to make it more affordable
for middle-income families to send
their children to Jewish day schools,
died Jan. 24 at age 71. He suffered a
massive stroke.
"Milton was a man of extraordinary
vision, as exemplified by his ground-
breaking charitable work," Rabbi
Freedman said. "The tuition assistance
for every child in Detroit who wants a
Jewish education was his dream. And he
backed that dream with real dollars, like
nobody ever before.
"When you think of a bold, visionary
leader in charity and community
involvement, you think of someone
almost on a pedestal. That wasn't Milt at
all," Rabbi Freedman continued.
"Both Lois and Milt were unassum-
ing. If they were visionaries, as great as
they were, that's how great their
humility was. There was a complete
lack of hubris."
"This is a very devastating day for the
community — for me, personally, for
everybody," said Robert Aronson, chief
executive officer of the Jewish
Federation. "It's such a loss, it's very hard
to comprehend. He was a man with a
totally good heart. He cared about the
future of Jewish life."
David Hermelin, former ambassador
to Norway, was a stepbrother of Dr.
Shiffman. Dr. Sharman's widowed
mother married Hermelin's widowed
father, forming a close-knit bond
between the familes.
"Milt understood his priorities,"
Hermelin said. "He always had a clear
focus: faith, family, friends and fulfill-
ment of life.
"There wasn't a day where Milt didn't
invest his energy. But he had a soft, gen-
tle way. He exercised wonderful leader-
ship."
Dr. and Mrs. Shiffman, of West
Bloomfield, also worked to establish a
hospice in the Galilee region of Israel, a
joint project of the Jewish Federation
and Livonia's Madonna University
Six days before his sudden death, Dr.
his father's business partner. "If it came
Shiffman was shown a draft of the new
to making choices between prospering
sliding-scale tuition for Hillel Day
and being associated with people whose
School of Metropolitan
ethics he didn't
Detroit. Two days later,
respect, he would
Dr. Shiffman celebrated
pass on the transac-
his 71st birthday.
tion."
"In his 71 years, he
Dr. Shiffinan was a
packed in about as much
lifelong member of
life as anyone could,"
Mat Shalom
said his son, Gary. Dr.
Synagogue, serving
Shiffrnan loved to travel,
on its board and as
visiting all seven conti-
president. He was
nents, including a trip to
instrumental in help-
Antarctica with his
ing the synagogue
daughters.
retire its mortgage. Its
"He planned trips all
daily chapel is named
over the world, with
after his father, Joseph
family," Gary Shiffman
D. Shiffman.
said. "He never wanted
"He's been a won-
to sit still. He always
derful role model for
wanted to see more."
his sister Terran
Family members said
[Leemis], who is the
Dr. Milton Shiffman
Dr. Shiffman's Polish
current president of
immigrant parents
Adat Shalom," said
instilled in him a love for Jews and
Rabbi Daniel Nevins.
Judaism, a mission to care for others
Rabbi Nevins eulogized Dr. Shiffinan
through the practice of medicine and an
at his funeral Jan. 26 at Ira Kaufman
entrepreneurial spirit while he helped in
Chapel.
their business, Florence's Silk Shop in
Dr. Sharman's charitable work
Hamtramck.
included gifts to Bar-Ilan University in
Dr. Shiffman, born in Detroit, spent
Israel. He helped forge a link between
his latter years setting an example of
Bar-Ilan and the U.S. National Institutes
sharing for his own family and the com-
of Health and funded an annual scientif-
munity.
ic scholar-in-residence program.
He entered the University of
"In Bar-Ilan, he found a combination
Michigan out of Central High at age 17
of Jewish education, science and love of
and graduated from its medical school
Zion that was central to his thinking,"
six years later in 1952. He served in the
said Leslie Goldstein, Midwest executive
Air Force before practicing general
director of the university.
surgery at Sinai Hospital from 1956
The Shiffmans were instrumental in
until his retirement from medicine in
the renovation of the Yeshiva Beth
1984. In the latter part of his career, he
Yehudah School for Boys' building in
was also chief of surgery at South
Southfield in 1996, which was later
Macomb Hospital in Warren.
named in their honor. Referring to
A friend, Dr. Peter Siegel, described
Jewish survival, Dr. Shift-man said at the
Dr. Shiffman as an excellent surgeon,
time, "A strong yeshiva means the
calling him "very decisive."
chances for that survival are greatly
After leaving medicine, Dr.
improved."
Shiffinan's interests switched to real
Gary Torgow, president of Yeshiva
estate development. He opened several
Beth Yehudah and a weekly study part-
nursing homes, including Nightingale
ner of Dr. Shiffman, said, "He was an
North and South in Sterling Heights
extraordinary human being with an
and Warren. He later sold the nursing
immense heart and compassion for
homes and began Sun Communities
every person and cause he held dear. His
Inc., a national network of parks for
life's compass was consistently guided by
manufactured housing. His company
what was right and fair. He was truly
had a successful public offering in 1993
one of our generation's great heroes."
and remains listed on the New York
His wife shared Dr. Sharman's inter-
Stock Exchange.
est in Jewish education. "I was a
"His ethics were the most impor-
teacher," she said, "and we combined
tant," said Gary Shiffman, who was also
our interests, between medicine and
education. We felt that one of our most
important goals was to give education to
our children and to those who could not
afford it.
"Both of us were brought up with the
feeling of Jewish values and our giving
back to the community since we were
children. Both our parents have instilled
that in us. It's a very important part of
our life and our children's and grandchil-
dren's lives."
The Shiffmans met at a B'nai B'rith
Hillel function at the University of
Michigan and both were ardent sup-
porters of Jewish education on campus.
In Israel, the Milton and Lois
Sharman Home Hospice of the Valleys
brought the hospice movement to the
central Galilee, Detroit's "sister commu-
nity" area in Federation's Partnership
2000 project.
"He was the type of person who
could visualize a vision like the hospice,
where there was none before," Rabbi
Freedman said. "The whole concept was
relatively new to Israel. He combined his
love for Israel with his compassion for
people. The loss of his mom led him to
create the hospice in Israel."
"Milton cannot be replaced," said
Hermelin. "You can just hope you learn
from his memory."
Dr. Shiffman is survived by his wife,
Lois Shiffman; son and daughter-in-law,
Gary and Lisa Shiffman of West
Bloomfield; daughters and sons-in-law,
Audrey Shiffman and Peter Langmaid of
Mercer Island, Wash., Gail and Mark
Hennes of Oak Park; grandchildren,
Matthew, Alex and Adam Shiffman,
Elizabeth and Jessica Langmaid, Rina,
Asher and Gila Hennes; mother-in-law,
Rose Gold; sisters and brother-in-law,
Terran and Roger Leemis of Bloomfield
Hills, Henietta Weinberg; brother and
sister-in-law, David and Doreen
Hermelin; brother-in-law and sister-in-
law Burt and Rosalie Gold.
He was the beloved son of the late
Joseph D. Shiffman and the late
Florence Sharman Hermelin and the
devoted stepson of the late Irving
Hermelin.
Contributions may be made to the
Shiffman Family Day School Tuition
Assistance Fund or the Milton and Lois
Shiffman Home Hospice of the Valleys,
both in care of Jewish Federation, 6735
Telegraph Road, Bloomfield Hills, MI
48303.
Interment was at Adat Shalom
Memorial Park ❑
1/28
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