All In The Famil
Federation lauds Hugh and Carolyn Greenberg
as this year's Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award winners.
HARRY KIRSBAUM
StaffWriter
•
D
"There couldn't be two
more deserving people
for this award anywhere
in town. They're just
wonderful citizens of
our Jewish community,
and they have displayed
that over their entire lifetimes in so
many different capacities.
"Everything they do, they do
with a sense of humor and light-
ness, and they don't take them-
selves too seriously. And neither
one of them is looking for person-
al glory."
— David Page,
1999 Butzel Award winner
— Penny Blumenstein, Jewish
Federation president
•
Jewish socialization is even more impor-
tant," he said. "I'm a firm believer in
Jewish camps, centers, places, where
Jews can congregate and see each other."
As president of the West Bloomfield
JCC
when it opened, he said he was
8
immediately confronted with funding
C
problems. "I have managed throughout
my career to always be in the place
U
where things weren't going too well, and
it's probably my own fault, but I'm chal-
lenged by those things," he said.
Hugh is chair of the Center's endow-
ment committee of the Federation's
Millennium Campaign for Detroit's
Jewish Future. The committee has raised
C 0 $31.75 million so far, which he hopes
will silence the critics who say the JCC
0
hasn't enough funding.
Irwin Shaw, who retired as JCC exec-
utive director when Hugh was still presi-
Clockwise from left: Hugh and Carolyn Greenberg. JCC president Hugh Greenberg
dent, said Greenberg's hometown roots
receives an award on behalf of the JCC for 50 years of service to the community from
helped give the Center stability through
Joseph Kruger, Jewish Welfare Board vice president, 1976 Carolyn Greenberg
a difficult time.
"Within 10 years, the Federation
receives Federation's Sylvia Simon Greenberg Award from Hyman Safran, 1966
had two different directors and neither
one of them knew anything about the
freely by the Greenbergs. More of it is
team in Federation activities since they
Detroit Jewish community, and Hugh
something they want for their other spe-
married in April 1951. Through the
had some real problems," Shaw said.
cial causes — the Neighborhood Project
years, they say they have witnessed the
"It was fortunate to have people like
and the Jewish Community Center of
formation of ideas into programs that
him, otherwise the Center would have
Metropolitan Detroit — but not for
made a huge impact on Detroit-area
fallen apart."
themselves.
Jews.
In
1986,
Hugh
served
as
chairman
"Most of the things we have done
of the loan program for the
have been an attempt to create Jewish
Sinai Hospital
Neighborhood Project, Federation's
identity and build Jewish community,"
Carolyn was very active for 8-10 years
attempt to revitalize the Jewish-popu-
said Hugh, from their art-filled home
as an officer at Detroit's Sinai Hospital
lated Oak Park and Southfield areas by
in Franklin.
and chaired some of the Sinai Hospital
providing interest-free incentive loans
But among the activities, there are
balls. She witnessed the sale of Sinai
for home buyers and renovators.
favorites.
firsthand.
"At the time we did it, we weren't sure
"It's my most recent love," he said of
"It was a very difficult time," she
[the Neighborhood Project] was going
the American Jewish Joint Distribution
said. "We were trying to sell the hospi-
to
work,"
he
said.
"We
tried
to
formu-
Committee, for which he serves on the
tal, but never, never did I think
late it in a way that it wasn't a great risk
board. "What they've done in Eastern
through all of this, that they would ever
to Federation — they were putting up
Europe and the Soviet Union is supply-
close Sinai," she said. "However, we
all the money — and yet it would
ing food and clothing, medical supplies
certainly received good remuneration
encourage people to move into an area
and, in addition, they're opening Jewish
for the hospital, and we're able to use
that was a neighborhood in decline."
cultural centers, over 100 in Russia
that money to help our community.
Hugh called the program "one of the
already, and re-establishing the Jewish
From that standpoint, it's a plus, and
great triumphs of the Detroit Jewish
community."
we
feel very lucky that we were able to
community."
The Greenbergs both traveled to
get out of it as much as we did."
As
president
of
the
Jewish
Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania last
Sinai, opened in 1953 and closed in
Community Center in the mid-1970s,
year, seeing firsthand what the Joint is
1999,
was built for Jewish doctors, not
Hugh has always been its greatest advo-
doing. "Their function is under-publi-
Jewish
patients, Hugh said.
cate. "I'rn one who believes that as much
cized, and it's heroic," said Hugh
as Jewish education is important in
Greenberg.
BUTZEL on page 18
keeping people Jewish, I think that
"Lack
of
publicity"
is
a
phrase
used
1
H.
oing volunteer work in the
Jewish community has
always come easy to Hugh
and Carolyn Greenberg.
Ever since they were children, they
learned from their families the impor-
tance of giving back.
Next week, as the Greenbergs become
only the second couple to receive the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit's Fred M. Butzel Memorial
Award for Distinguished Service (Joseph
and Edythe Jackier shared the same
honor in 1985), they will briefly accept
the congratulations lauded onto them
before continuing to do what comes
naturally — being involved in the com-
munity.
Hugh and Carolyn Greenberg have
never concerned themselves with the
details of their volunteer work. Ask
them what year they chaired a project,
and they can only round it out to the
nearest decade. What's most important
is that the work got done.
Hugh's great-grandfather started
Temple Beth El in Traverse City in the
early 1880s and his grandfather started
Temple Beth Israel in Petoskey, he said.
Carolyn's grandfather, Isaac August,
was one of the founders of the Jewish
Home for the Aged, and Hugh's
father, heavily involved in Federation,
served on its board and was an officer
of the Detroit-based seniors' home.
Hugh and Carolyn have worked as a
"The Greenbergs are
truly a dynamic duo:
the finest example of a
marriage that combines
devotion to each other
and commitment to
the Jewish people.
"Their long involvement in the
Jewish community is a reflection
of their values, and we are truly
fortunate to have their skills to
draw upon for counsel and lead-
ership."