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CHAMPION from page 35

Davidson Institute at the University
of Michigan Business School in Ann .
Arbor, created by a $30 million gift,
plus many other worldwide facilities
resulting from his philanthropic
donations.

Its The Need

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5/12

2005

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"The main reason I gave this gift to
create the school is because we need
Jewish education now, not some time
down the road," Davidson empha-
sized in his office filled with memen-
tos and memorabilia of a mixture of
business and basketball.
He's chairman and president of
Guardian Industries Corp., one of
the world's largest manufacturers of
architectural and auto glass, with
close to 20,000 employees and facili-
ties in 21 countries; sales hit close to
$6 billion in 2004. The firm's world
headquarters is in a beautiful, glass-
dominated building practically next
door to Davidson's beloved Palace of
Auburn Hills, giving him easy access
to his permanent home-game-seat
below the basket near the Pistons'
bench.
Dressed in a suit, but tie-less as
usual, Davidson, 82, gave the Jewish
News a spirited interview as to why
he's so interested in Jewish educa-
tion.
"The goal of the Davidson school
is to provide well-trained teachers
who are passionate about Jewish
education; who can get through to
students, who," in turn, can teach
the world about Judaism," he said.
"Until recently, there has been a
definite lack of Jewish educational
efforts. The school provides three
important methods: research,
teacher training and curriculum
development."
Davidson pointed out that the
school is not geared just to the
Conservative movement, "but to
the totality of the Jewish people."
He added: "This is not a
Conservative or liberal thing; it's a
Jewish thing. It's a pluralistic school
for all Jewish movements. We're
training people for the entire Jewish
world, not the various factions. In
fact, the growth of the Reform
movement in recent years has
proven to be invaluable to continu-
ing Jewish education."
"It's easy for the younger genera-
tion to forget about the Holocaust
and the terrorism and atrocities suf-
fered by Jews over the years," he
said. "There are too many Jewish

Cover Story

people who - don't have an under-
standing of our heritage and tradi-
tions. Our educators need to update
the world about the Jewish people.
When I made the gift for the school,
I envisioned it as a permanent place
for Jewish learning to sustain Jewish
identity, and it will remain there for
all future generations."

Broad Based Learning

U.S. Rep. Tom Lantos, D-Calif., one
of Davidson's longtime friends, cer-
tainly agrees with the philan-
thropist's efforts to perpetuate Jewish
identity. A native of Hungary,
Lantos, 77, whose district is in the
San Francisco area, is the only
Holocaust survivor in Congress.
_
"Bill Davidson is an intelligent
man with insatiable curiosity who
always comes up with creative ideas
and is passionate about his philan-
thropic work — especially in regard
to Jewish education," Lantos said
from his Washington, D.C., office.
Davidson's $15 million gift to JTS
started as an endowment, but he has
added money to fit the operating
needs of the school — "with no
strings attached." He is satisfied with
the school's progress so far. He visits
a few times a year, but closely moni-
tors the school from Michigan.
"He made an amazing commit-
ment to Jewish education; he really
responded to the call for improved
education," said Dr. Steven Brown,
the school's dean. "Bill Davidson is a
humble, gracious, giving person who

has shown by his actions that he's
committed to Jewish education."
The average school enrollment is
about 125 students: 30 will graduate
later this month, the largest graduat-
ing class ever; 27 will receive mas-
ter's degrees and three will get doc-
torates. The expanded Davidson gift
saves students $15,000 a year in full
tuition costs. As it is, New York liv-
ing expenses cost another approxi-
mately $15,000.
"I feel that the young men and
women who graduate can go any-
where in the world with this Jewish
education," said Davidson. "Their
studies at the school are planned to
give them a broad vision."

School's Fruits

Recent Detroit-area graduates are
Faya Gene and Danny Kochavi, both
of Waterford; Jennie Allan of Novi;
Debbie Ornstein of Farmington;
Rabbi Jason Miller of Ann Arbor;
and Rabbi Eric Yanoff of Southfield.
Rabbi Yanoff, 29, a Philadelphia
native, graduated from the Davidson
school last year after a six-year com-
bined program with the seminary's
regular rabbinical studies. He then
joined the new young rabbinical
team at Congregation Shaarey
Zedek.
"I pursued the joint program at
the Davidson school to study the
informal elements of Jewish living,
he said. "I wanted to delve into all
aspects of the holidays and
Jewishness in general. I knew Bill

7 )

Davidson as a philanthropist, but I
saw him in a different light last June
because I arrived in town the night
the Pistons beat the Los Angeles
Lakers for the national champi-
onship."
Attending the Davidson school
and getting master's degrees has
allowed Gene, 24, and Ornstein, 29,
to become teachers at Hillel Day
School of Metropolitan Detroit in
Farmington Hills. Both are single
and lived in New York apartments.
Gene, daughter of Sharon and
Martin Gene of Waterford, split a
combined dance and Talmud study
program at Columbia University and
JTS before entering the two-year
Davidson program, concentrating on
day school education.
"I attended the Davidson school
because I realized how important it
is to become a teacher and pass the
Jewish culture and traditions on to
Jewish youth," she said. "It was a
wonderful program, allowing me
now to give something back to the
Jewish community."
Ornstein, whose parents are
Harriet and Alexander Ornstein, said
she owes Davidson "billions of
thank-yous for an amazing experi-
ence at the school."
She first obtained a degree in reli-
gious studies from Michigan State
University in East Lansing before
attending the Davidson school to
concentrate on day school educa-
tion, specializing in history. "The
faculty is first rate, and the school is

JTS Also To Eon°
Doreen Hermelin

Doreen Hermelin

Doreen Hermelin of Bingham Farms,
whose late husband, David, was a
businessman-philanthropist and for-
mer ambassador to Norway, is being
honored with a Chancellor's Medal
May 23 for her longtime commitment
to the JTS and the Davidson school.

She has a vast collection of award pins
for her many donations to the semi-
nary's Torah Fund, which provides
learning materials for students, and
she serves on the JTS Detroit Cabinet
and the Board of Overseers of the
Davidson school.
"My father [the late Ted Curtis] was
very active in supporting the seminary
and he got me interested in it," said
Hermelin, who was consecrated at the
old Congregation B'nai Moshe syna-
gogue in Detroit and later went
through the adult bat mitzvah pro-
gram at Congregation Shaarey Zedek.
"We're pleased to honor Doreen for

the many years of support and devo-
tion given by David and her to the
seminary and the Davidson school,"
said Dr. Schorsch.
They also helped- establish, through
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, the Hermelin-Davidson Fund
for Congregational Excellence.
"I have great respect and admiration
for Bill Davidson," said Hermelin.
"He's truly a visionary, whose forward
thinking about the importance of
Jewish education is creating quality
education for future generations of the
Jewish community."