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. 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