Com um
Problem Solving
Spotlights
Work Of
Leaders
BILL CARROLL
Speeial to the _Jewish News
E
xtolling the virtues of
"Sunday morning gratifica-
tion," ardent supporters of
the Hebrew Free Loan
Association of Detroit (HFLA) gathered
at the annual conference of the interna-
tional association in Troy to honor three
of its own with high awards.
Marlene Borman, the first woman
president of HFLA, received the local
groups annual Legacy Award. The
international organization's Maimonides
Gmillut Chassodim Awards were pre-
sented to Penny Blumenstein, the first
woman president of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
and Emery I. Klein, a past president of
HFLA and Federation leader, local
businessman and Holocaust survivor,
who arrived in America 50 wars ago.
But many in the awards banquet
audience — the presenters, other speak-
ers and the regular HFLA. workers —
could claim a share of the accolades. At
the podium or around the dinner
tables, stories were told of how gratify
ing it was to attend the regular Sunday-
morning sessions throughout the year,
grant interest-free loans, and help
improve the lives of needy Jewish fami-
lies.
The Detroit group has been in exis-
tence for more than 100 years, helping
turn "dreams into reality for many
Jewish families. Twenty years ago, it
joined with 40 HFLAs from other parts
of the U.S., Canada, Israel and
Australia to form the international asso-
ciation, which held the three-day con-
ference in Troy.
Henry Y. Leopold, past president of
both the local and national groups,
pointed out that HFLA "gives people
optimism, hope and dignity while fol-
lowing the teachings of the Torah: 'If
you lend money to your brother, do not
exact interest'."
The West Bloomfield resident said
the Detroit HFLA provides about $1
million in loans yearly to about 400-
500 people — fi-om combined total
assets of about $100 million among
groups of the international organiza-
tion. The loans cover items ranging
from improvements to homes and busi-
ness expansions to college tuitions to
adoption of children and even in-vitro
9/29
2000
R2
Top: Marlene Borman
Middle: Emery Klein
Above: Penny Blumenstein
fertilization. "We're proud to say we've
help build 1,123 homes in Oak Park
and Southfield," said Leopold, who has
been active in the group for 42 years.
Florence Schwartz of Farmington
Hills, a Sunday-morning worker for six
years, recalled a young podiatrist who
returned to the HFLA office to proudly
pay off a loan that got him through
podiatry school. "When I happen to
tell him I was having trouble with a
foot, he insisted that I take off my shoe
and he examined me right there," she
laughed. "I guess he wanted to show
me that the loan really helped."
In presenting the Legacy Award to
Borman, Robert Aronson, chief execu-
tive officer of the Detroit Federation,
called her "a classy lady, who is active in
many Jewish causes, doing the work
with passion, devotion and zealousness.
She is accepting this award against her
will, but she really deserves it."
In her acceptance remarks, Borman
mused that she is getting the award to
help her children and grandchildren, all
of whom were in the audience, better
understand exactly what it is she does in
her volunteer work. "Giving loans to
people with no credit ratings, at no
interest, is a blessing," she said.
"I hear them tell me on Sunday
mornings of needing money for wed-
dings, funerals, furnace repairs, car pur-
chases, camp clothes, and to visit a
dying parent in another state. And no
matter what the economy is like in the
country, there's always a sector of the
community that's in need."
Borman's husband, Paul, a retired
supermarket executive, said: "I'm proud
of my wife's achievement and its impor-
tance to the Jewish community"
Their cousin, Federal Judge Paul D.
Borman, added: "This is a well-
deserved honor. Marlene has made a
mark in the community in a number of
charities."
Builder Herb Tyner, a neighbor of
the Bormans in Bloomfield Township,
said: "She's just an outstanding person."
Cornmented printing company exec-
utive Mickey Behfmann of Huntington
Woods: "It was a splendid choice."
Dr. Conrad Giles, vice chairman of
the executive committee f the,United
Jewish Communities, presented the
international awards to Blumenstein
and Klein, referring to them as workers
"with great tenacity, who always put
their money where their mouths are."
Ruth Marcus, who retired recently as
HFLA executive secretary because of ill
health, was recognized for her 18 years
of work with the group. ❑
Beyond this good news, and his per-
sonal claims of always being an opti-
mist, Tauber then discussed some of
the problems faced by the Jewish peo-
ple, alluding to the traditional Jewish
"paranoia . . . the oy veyhs and the
tzorres that come with thousands of
years of persecution and threatened
annihilation."
"Assimilation (intermarriage) is
one of our biggest continuing prob-
lems," he said. "Another is the ongo-
ing vitriolic arguments among ultra-
Orthodox groups both here and in
Israel. There's no place for these argu-
ments and the disruptions they are
causing in our religion."
Rather than dwelling too much on
these negative aspects, Tauber quickly
offered some proposed solutions. "We
already have sent about 18,000 kids
to Israel from around the U.S. in the
past one-and-a-half years, and our
goal should be to give every Jewish
child a free trip to Israel," he said.
To finance this, more than $200
million must be raised from Jewish
philanthropists and the Israeli govern-
ment, he added.
Tauber also said top educators
should be chosen to develop a core
Jewish curriculum, which then
should be taught by the best teachers
to Jewish children around the world
and also transmitted worldwide on
the Internet. "There are three excel-
lent executives of well-known com-
puter and electronic companies who
could help in this regard," he said,
citing Steve Ballmer of Microsoft,
Michael Dell of Dell Computers and
Irwin Jacobs of QualComm.
Tauber complimented the HFLA
on its work, pointing out that the
"highest form of charity is to sustain a
person so that he or she won't be des-
perate for help. And the HFLA oper-
ates quietly behind the scenes, con-
ducting interviews with dignity and
respect for the people being assisted."
On other issues, Tauber said the
reason the Palestinians failed to
declare an independent stare by
their Sept.13 deadline was that
President Yasser Arafat received
"absolutely no support for an Arab
state when he went around visiting
world leaders recently, trying to
drum up this type of support."
Tauber added: This demonstrated
the great acceptance of Israel around
the world."
Tauber said he is proud over the
selection of Sen. Joseph Lieberman
of Connecticut as the Democratic
vice-presidential running mate for
Al Gore. "Of course, I'm proud of
this as a Jew — but I'm mostly
proud of it as an American." ❑