p r esenting...
Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., talks with Moshe Rain, Israel s consul general for the
Midwest, and jCCouncirs Allan Gale, who arranged the recent meeting.
bered Micki Grossman, a longtime
friend, Council volunteer and colleague
for five years in the mid-to-late 1990s.
"Everyone wanted to introduce Allan
Gale to some young woman. He was
very endearing. He has always been
high-energy and has taken his job seri-
ously. He is always concerned that every-
one would have the best opportunity to
learn and achieve."
Grossman recalls that, in addition to
his serious side, she took a SAJE
(Seminars for Adult Jewish Enrichment)
class on Jewish trivia from him at the
Jewish Community Center..
Few know that Gale writes the weekly
"AlephBeecha Don't Know" feature in
the Jewish News. Gale signs the column
as Goldfein; his original family name
changed to Gale when he was 2.
Gale also authors the weekly Israel
Advocacy Network (IAN) e-mail newslet-
ter that reaches 1,500 households and
offices and writes the regular "Israel
Insight" feature in the Jewish News.
Gale's early years at Council were
spent learning his job, the community
and dealing with domestic issues and
Holocaust education. In 1982, he was
promoted to assistant director and spent
the next six years focusing on Israel.
With the outbreak of the Lebanon
War that year, there was plenty do. The
Israeli military action was harshly criti-
cized in many quarters, including seg-
ments of the American Jewish commu-
nity. Gale sprang into action.
"We spent a lot of time and energy
defending or explaining Israel's actions,"
recalls Gale. "We began to coordinate
ow- responses with the Israel govern-
ment, and, though we'd sometimes
diverge from them, it was the beginning
of a long and key relationship."
Moshe Ram, Israel's consul general for
the Midwest, was in town recently
speaking at meetings arranged by Gale.
"We are lucky that Allan is here," Ram
says. "I speak with him once or twice a
week on Israel, the Jewish community,
economics, communications or the
media. He has been very, very helpful in
many, many ways."
During a meeting with U.S. Sen. Carl
Levin, D-Mich., Gale joins in as Ram
discusses a range of regional and bilateral
issues with the senator. He gently seeks
more information as he scribbles notes.
After adding a few local issues on the
Jewish community's agenda, he assures
Levin he will share some of the senator's
concerns at a meeting of national Jewish
organizations in November.
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Such meetings are second nature to Gale
who has initiated and facilitated many.
He is a regular intermediary with the
local media, politicians and community
leaders, simultaneously encouraging,
cooperating and correcting. He is the
community's "go-to guy" on Israel, and
Israel's "go-to guy" for the community,
planning itineraries for visiting Israelis
who want to get connected to Detroit.
His interests and connections came
together when he took a group of labor
leaders to Israel in 1987.
"It's not well-recognized that Allan
inaugurated our VIP trips to Israel," says
Gad-Harf, who calls such trips "one of
our most important projects."
Gale has participated in many of VIP
trips as well as several community mis-
sions to Israel. He also served a stint as
staff for the Michigan Board of Rabbis.
Gale's longevity bhas been a boon to
the community in many ways, and it
wasn't by accident. "He and his wife
were always very committed to the com-
munity," said Kushner, "they didn't want
to leave here."
Gad-Harf concurs. "There were many
opportunities he had to work in other
fields or other communities, but his
commitment to the Council and the
community made it important to him
to stay right where he was," he said.
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10/17
2003
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