FOREVER OURS

AMBASSADOR DAVID B. HERMELIN, 1936-2000

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
Stair Writer

T

the Frankel Center for Judaic Studies at
U-M — also described Hermelin as "one
of the greatest raconteurs I have ever
heard, a most charitable and creative per-
son, and a friend to all in need."
Additionally, Gitelman remembers
Hermelin as "a model of Jewish leader-
ship and mentshlichkeit — thoughtful,
energizing, inspiring, witty, generous,
demanding the maximum from himself
and giving the maximum to others."
Hermelin established the Irving M.
Hermelin Curatorship of Judaica, in
honor of his father, in the university
library and was national co-chair of
major gifts for U-M.

he flag that waves in front of
the Goldman-Hermelin
Education Foundation building
at Hillel Day School of
Metropolitan Detroit was flown at
half-mast Nov. 22, noting the passing
of the school's longtime friend and
supporter, David Hermelin.
The Farmington Hills building, estab-
lished in September 1987, was named in
honor of Martin Goldman and Doreen
and David Hermelin, whose endowment
fund will continue to benefit the student
body that mourns him.
Dr. Mark Smiley, headmaster at Hillel,
said Matthew Hermelin last y ea r was the Enthusiasm For Education
Hermelin supported Jewish education
first Hermelin grandchild to graduate
at many levels, both in Detroit and
from Hillel; three others are current stu-
abroad. In Israel, he played leadership
dents.
roles at Hebrew University, Weizmann
Torah
at
the
morn-
Smiley gave a dvar
Institute of Science and Bar-Ilan
ing minyan for 6th-8th graders. He told
University. The ORT Hermelin
the students, "David Hermelin is the
College of Engineering in Netanya was
prototype of the kind of person who
dedicated in October.
could both be an ambassador of the gov-
Rabbi Yigal Tsaidi, educational direc-
ernment of the United States as well as
tor
of Yeshivat Akiva in Southfield, knew
the person who read Torah on many
of
Hermelin
even before moving to the
occasions at [Congregation] Shaarey
Detroit area last August. "He was a sup-
Zedek." Hermelin was "so proud of his
porter and friend of the school. He liked
Judaism as well as his Democratic val-
the idea that we are a religious, Zionistic
ues."
school."
Elsewhere in Michigan and around
the world, students and
faculty recalled the
good deeds of this man
who greatly valued
Jewish education.
Some 50 Judaic
Studies students and
faculty at the University
of Michigan in Ann
Arbor received a
somber, but inspiring e-
mail from Professor Zvi
11.11,L.RL .DAV
Gitelman.
:s ea tWATo.V.plataa gZ.e.3.11ft
Sharing thoughts of
SC/RATAK PAWLY CA.MKS
Hermelin and his spe-
cial connection with the
school, Gitelman called
him "a great friend of
the University of
Michigan and of Judaic
Studies, and a leader of
world Jewry."
Gitelman — a politi-
cal science professor,
Preston R. Tisch
Professor of Judaic
Studies and director of

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.

To endorse the new Jewish Academy
of Metropolitan Detroit in West
Bloomfield, Hermelin's face and voice
were chosen to be the finale to a video
produced about the school. "He was a
person people looked up to for direc-
tion," said Rabbi Lee Buckman, head
of school. "He spoke in the video on
partnership between the community,
Federation and the school. He had the
ability to be a model, an inspiration on
how to live. Education is about model-
ing — how we should act. To develop
kids of character, you have to surround
them with people of character. He
enriched our community by who he
was."
"He helped us to establish a charter
for the Michigan Jewish Institute, which
is a rare thing to get," said Rabbi
Yitschak M. Kagan, associate director of
the Lubavitch Foundation of Michigan.
"When things were going pretty much
nowhere, David stepped in and it was
done in a month."
"He was a man that could cross so
many important parts of the communal
spectrum and truly made you feel that
your cause and your issue were the most
critical issues of the day," said Gary
Torgow.
For him, those issues were most often
connected to Hermelin's longtime sup-
port of Yeshiva Beth Yehudah, the

Southfield-based school where Torgow
serves as president.
"David was uniquely, and singularly,
able to advise and consult and commis-
erate on so many different fronts,"
Torgow said.
Harlene Appelman, director of
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit's Alliance for Jewish
Education, describes Hermelin "as a
role model and teacher." She said, "Of
the many lessons he lived, the one
most profound was that you could
always count on him."
She remembers Hermelin's enthusi-
asm for Judaism, epitomized in his
1996 Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award
speech when he said, "I am in love with
being Jewish, but even more important
I'm in love with living Jewishly.
"If I had a wish it would be that I
could play a part in translating my
excitement of the beauty and joy of
being Jewish, so that all of our people
could see how rewarding, life-affirming
and just plain fun living Jewishly could
be."
Hermelin added: "If we build into
our education that ruach, that feeling,
then our children will be with us...
their mates, whatever their prior affili-
ation, will see, through a living exam-
ple, the greatness and joy of this living
faith.'" ❑

Clockwise: Flag at
half-mast at Goldman-
Hermelin Education
Foundation building at
Hillel Day School.

Detroit Federation
President Penny
Blumenstein, business
partner William Davidson,
Doreen and David
Hermelin and Federation
CEO Robert Aronson, at
the announcement of the
Hermelin-Davidson Center
of Congregation Excellence
in March 2000.

Gary Torgow, Sen, Joseph
Lieberman with
David Hermelin.

1 2R
2000.

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