Metro

ew

ear1

May the coming year be filled with
health, happiness and prosperity
for all our family and friends

Jeff and Marla Kaftan
and our brother-in-law
Marc Barron

=WWII

May the coming year be filled
with health and happiness for
all our family & friends.

1....0 / SHANAH TOVAH!

Irving and Doreen Lichtman

1

May the blessings of family and friends
strengthen our resolve to strive for
peace and security in the New Year

L'SHANAH TOVAH!

Judge Susan Moiseev

Ge wish our friends & family a very healthy,
and prosperous New Year.

Paula, Ira, Caryn, Marci and Amy Finkelstein

9/10
2004

44

New Undertaking

Businessman named to head Clover Hill cemetery.

ment fees from about 200 burials a year.
There are about 12,000 graves now,
but 12 additional acres were purchased
at the back of the site to make room for
Farmington Hills businessman
6,500 more graves, available this fall.
has moved from the files and
The cemetery is currently divided into
storage business into a different
26 sections, each with the same type of
kind of storage occupation. Ralph H.
stones to maintain aesthetics.
Zuckman is the new executive director
Construction is under way on a
of the Clover Hill Park Cemetery in
Birmingham.
$500,000 office building, to open in
December, which will keep the
He was appointed to the
cemetery entity entirely on the
new position by the cemetery's
Birmingham side of 14 Mile
nine-member board of direc-
Road. Zuckman, Baruch and
tors to replace Leonard Baruch
two other office employees
of Southfield, who stays on as
have been housed in cramped
executive secretary mainly to
handle plot sales and serve as
space in an old home on the
an adviser. Zuckman's job
Royal Oak side of the bound-
ary.
incorporates the position of
A maintenance building has
chief superintendent, vacated
been refurbished, a fence built
by Andrew Phythian of Royal
at the rear of the site and a 50-
Oak, who retired after 28
Zuckman
car parking lot will be created
years with Clover Hill. Mike
near the new offices.
McClintic was named to the
Clover Hill's chapel, built in 1920, has
newly created position of superintendent
been renovated with a chemical treat-
of grounds.
ment to the exterior, giving it a more
The 60-acre cemetery was founded in
modern look. Deteriorating steps were
1918 by officials of Congregation
replaced.
Shaarey Zedek. Plot space is open for
"There are about 30-35 burial services
sale to Sha a rey Zedek members and
in the chapel each year, mainly by fami-
their families, and to the community in
lies who just don't want to use car pro-
general.
cessions from the funeral home,"
Zuckman, who has been attending
Zuckman pointed out.
Shaarey Zedek since he was a youngster,
The third annual Time of
said he sought the executive director
Remembrance Sunday was held in the
post because he feels a "strong attach-
chapel in August. "It's customary to visit
ment to Shaarey Zedek" and wanted to
"help the synagogue carry on the impor- graves prior to or during the High
Holiday season, and this is a way to get
tant religious burial tradition." He won
more people to do that," Baruch said.
the job over four other candidates.
There are five year-round mainte-
Zuckman, 54, graduated from
nance employees and about 35 seasonal
Detroit's Henry Ford High School and
workers. They plant flower beds on
earned a marketing degree from Wayne
12,000 graves each year in an effort to
State University. In 1990, he founded
File Tech Systems in Farmington Hills, a keep up the aesthetics of the stones,
flowers and shrubs.
company that provides files and infor-
"Our board members are very consci-
mation storage equipment to profession-
entious and have demonstrated out-
al offices and businesses. His daughter,
standing leadership, using prudent judg-
Sara Zuckman, 27, of Farmington Hills
ment in their decisions on the grounds
now is in charge of the business.
and the expansion," said Clover Hill
"I'm using my file system background
Board Chairman Yale Levin of
to modernize Clover Hill's files and pull
Southfield. 'All of our decisions are in
information together to help families
the best interest of the families — to
with their genealogical studies," said
make sure they have as pleasant a ceme-
Zuckman, who also took a one-week
tery experience as possible."
course in cemetery management.
Shaarey Zedek also is responsible for
He comes to Clover Hill in the midst
the upkeep of the 142-year-old Beth
of an ambitious $1.7 million expansion
Olem Cemetery on the grounds of the
program at the cemetery, which derives
GM Cadillac Plant in Hamtramck. 1-1
its revenue from plot sales, plus inter-

BILL CARROLL
Special to the Jewish News

A