for top leadership positions, stepping up
planning, identifying and publicizing
"best practices" and developing training
programs for federation leaders.
All in all, they seemed to be seek-
ing the buy-in of federations and
attempting to persuade them why
they should be involved.
But there remain many points of
conflict and uncertainty:
• Many small and intermediate-
sized federations feel they do not have
a large enough voice in collective deci-
sions and have expressed fears that
proposed budget cuts — particularly
to regional offices that assist smaller
federations with things such as
fundraising and personnel matters —
would adversely affect them;
• Issues of obligation and enforce-
ment — particularly on the issue of
financial commitment for overseas
needs and the national system's over-
head — were considered so divisive
that they were moved off the agenda
weeks before the retreat. Nonetheless,
the UJC committee charged with
assessing overseas needs is requesting
federations contribute at least 105 per-
cent of what they gave last year.
• Federations agree that they want
to trim the budget — which is
approximately $40 million — for the
national system but cannot agree what
programs and services should be cut to
achieve that goal:
Despite the difficulties, participants
from both large and small federations
overwhelmingly voiced satisfaction
with the retreat even if some were
skeptical about what will happen next.
Jeff Levin, executive director of the
Jewish Federation of Washtenaw
County in Ann Arbor, said the meet-
ing was strengthening federations'
commitment to the larger system.
"There's a growing recognition that
whatever comes, everyone making
Shabbos for himself is not a good
thing," he said. "That's the main
theme and all the rest is commentary."
For Detroit's Joel Tauber, UJC's
executive committee chairman, "We're
building a culture of oneness and peo-
ple are beginning to look beyond their
own federation."
Despite the sense of growing confi-
dence, leaders — particularly from
smaller federations — noted that they
were still not certain what the long-term
impact of their discussions might be.
Arthur Paikowsky, executive direc-
tor of the Jewish Federation of Greater
Phoenix, agreed, saying: "The devil is
in the details. Once you figure out
how you want to do ir, what's the
implementation?" ❑

Hillel Day School
of Metropolitan Detroit

requests the pleasure of your company
at our

,

Annual Dinner

honoring

Ambassador David Hermelin and Doreen Hermelin

with the

2000 Dream Maker Award

and the

Rabbi Jacob Segal Award

Tuesday, June 6, 2000

Cocktails 5:30 p.m.

Program 7:00 p.m.

Dinner followin4 program

Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Southfield

Couvert $180 per person

Kindly respond by May 19, 2000

Hillel Annual Dinner 2000

Honorary Annual Dinner Chairmen

Suzanne and Eugene Curtis
Anna Curtis
Mitchell Curtis
Karen Hermelin and Marc Borman
Reggie and Dr. Robert Fisher
Julie and Mitchell Frank

Jennifer and Brian Hermelin
Terran and Roger Leemis
Francine Hermelin-Levite and Adam Levite
Lois Shiffman
Henrietta Hermelin Weinberg

Annual Dinner Chairmen

Marcie and Robert Orley

Annual Dinner Committee

Linda and Dr. Murray Baruch
Doris and Fred Blechman
Stacy and Jeffrey Brodsky
Rhonda and Jerry Byer
Jill and David Farber
Carol and Alan Feldman
Amy and Dr. Jack Folbe
Lori and Larry Garon
Jodi and Dr. Robert Goodman
Illana and Daniel Greenberg
Cheryl and Dr. Dan Guyer
Betsy and Dr. Mitchell Hollander
Gail and Robert Kaplan

Michelle and Robert Kleiman
Sandy and Michael Lippitt
Michelle and Linden Nelson
Natalie and William Newman
Dr. Shari and Darryl Rogers
Terri Farber Roth and Rob Roth
Lesly and Andrew Sallan
Nancy and Robert Schostak
Elise and David Schostak
Jane and Larry Sherman
Lisa and Gary Shiffman
Susan and Larry Slabotsky
Jodi and Ron Weiss

For more information, call 248-851-6950

