FOR THE AGES
Max M. Fisher, 1908-2005
Detroit Jewry's
atnarc
Memorial Award winner.
"Sure, I know a little bit about
that," he answered, grinning.
A power broker yet humble,
Max came to know and consult
with many of Israel's major political and military figures; in Max,
they saw the diaspora's unofficial envoy.
Max was at peace under hospice care when he died last week in
his bedroom, not far from the den where I had the rare opportunity
so late in his life to hear him tell me that, despite my fear about
Israel's survival from Arab terror, the Jewish state not only would
survive, but again prosper.
The day he died, I received a bulletin from the Jerusalem-based
Palestinian Media Watch revealing that the Palestinian Authority-
controlled news media had glorified the Tel Aviv nightclub suicide
bomber on Feb. 25 as a shahid, a martyr who died for Allah,
instead of branding him a terrorist. "The official condemnations of
the bombing, therefore, focus not on deploring the act, but on
lamenting the consequences: damage to the Palestinian cause,"
wrote PMW's Itamar Marcus.
At age 96, Max died at 11:30 a.m. last Thursday,
which meant that it was 6:30 p.m. in Israel. Israeli
leaders had little time to put together a delegation to
board an El Al plane before Shabbat so they could
arrive in time for Max's 11 a.m. Sunday funeral at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield. Jewish
Agency for Israel (JAFI) Chairman Sallai Meridor, a personal friend
of Max, led the 30-member delegation.
"This marks the passing of the greatest leader diaspora Jewry has
known since the establishment of the State of Israel," Meridor said.
The magnitude of that tribute explains why Max could have been
the first American ever accorded the privilege of being buried
among Israeli dignitaries at Mt. Herzl National Cemetery in
Jerusalem had his family not chosen to lay him to rest in the family
n we were, in awe,
o on the edge of our
seats, across from a
global leader who exuded wisdom,
humility and imagination. We were
ready to learn and eager to interact. And Max Fisher didn't disap-
point us as we spoke about our beloved Israel, the ancestral home-
land for Jews the world over.
It wasn't the best of times for Max, the eter-
nal light for the Detroit Jewish community and a
man who, through a unique blend of power,
money, respect and foresight, helped fortify the
unity of the Jewish people. At age 95 — with
grandchildren and great-grandchildren to dote
on — he was trying to recuperate from a bro-
ken hip that had developed a staph infection. To
make matters worse, his beloved Israel contin-
ROBERT A.
ued to be the target of a Palestinian extermina-
SKLAR
tion plot as the mindless, murderous terror
Editor
droned on.
The son of poor Eastern
European immigrants, Fisher made a fortune in oil
refining en route to becoming a staunch Zionist,
business titan, philanthropist, communal leader and
political force. A master consensus builder, he
advised U.S. presidents and Israeli prime ministers
on Middle East affairs and led American Jewry's top agencies. He
was integral in giving the waning Jewish Agency for Israel new
reason for being.
His fund-raising prowess is the stuff of legend. He raised nearly
$200 million in private gifts for Israel within weeks of the last shot
in the Yom Kippur War of 1973.
The day JN colleagues Harry Kirsbaum and Angie Baan and I
visited Max in the sprawling Franklin estate where he and his
wife, Marjorie, had lived since 1957, he had just returned from
EDITOR'S NOTEBOOK on page 15
Washington to receive a leadership award from the American
Israel Public Affairs
Committee. He looked tired
and frail, but his mind was
still sharp. And he was witty,
current and engaging in
conversation.
"Feeling OK?" I asked
Max, who was seated in a
cushy chair by the window
that overlooks the Franklin
Hills Country Club. A tele-
phone and a walker were
within a hand's reach.
"For a young fella, I feel
good," he responded, crack-
ing a big smile that melted
away any hint of intimidation
before we launched into a
serious discussion.
"Can we talk a little bit
about Israel?" I asked the
former Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit presi-
dent and Fred M. Butzel
Staff Writer Harry Kirsbaum and I are all ears for Max.
Edi tor's
Note book
3/10
2005
14
To Learn, To Share
Dear Max:
How can I thank
you for all you have
done for me?
When we first met
in your office for my
introduction to you
as the new
Campaign chair for
PENNY
major gifts in 1996,
BLUMENSTEIN
I was, of course,
intimidated. You asked me many ques-
tions to test my knowledge about our
community and about Israel then
played a little Jewish geography to find
out more about who I was and where I
came from. You then concluded by show-
ing me around your memorabilia. It was
my first lesson in seeing how a great man
can be warm and charming.
By the time we closed my first Fisher
meeting, I was in love. Your command
of the room, your knowledge, your abili-
ty to speak without a note and your
smile completely captivated me.
I learned something every time we
met, but I think one of the most valu-
able lessons was about leadership. You set
an example for me by asking questions
instead of giving commands, by making
yourself available and by living your lift
by deeds not words.
Once, I asked you to speak to a group
of young adults who were being intro-
duced to Federation. You spoke (again
without notes for 10 minutes) and then
opened the discussion for questions. After
they got over their shock and awe, they
asked and you answered without pause.
When we left that meeting, you turned to
me and said, "We should do this again."
Another valuable lesson I learned from
you was to listen carefully and make
thoughul decisions. How often your eyes
would close during a discussion (I
thought maybe you had fallen asleep),
only to have you open them and give a
short synopsis of the topic and a succinct
opinion that was right on the mark.
Max, I have had the wonderful privi-
lege of knowing you as a _Mend and men-
tor; not simply as an icon. My respect for
you and my admiration of the depth of
your love for Israel and the Jewish com-
munity and Detroit has grown through
the years. I only wish I had more years to
learn and share in your wisdom.
Penny Bluinenstein of Bloomfield Hills was
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit's first woman president.