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All About Education

Federation CEO lays out schooling initiative during annual meeting.

Harry Kirsbaum
Staff Writer

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ailing Jewish day school
education "the critical
challenge we face as a
community today:' Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit CEO Robert Aronson
introduced a multi-million dollar
fund-raising initiative to "secure
the future of our day schools."
On the night that Federation
installed new board members
and awarded former Federation
President Penny Blumenstein the
Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award
for Distinguished Community
Service, Aronson asked the com-
munity for help.
"Despite the fact that
Federation is allocating $2.2 mil-
lion this year for our 2,200 day
school students ... our commu-
nal efforts are still falling short:'
he said to Federation supporters
at the combined
Federation/United Jewish
Foundation annual meeting at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Southfield on Oct. 11.
The plan, which stresses the
importance of day school educa-
tion, is based on four parts, each
tied to a local Jewish school,
Aronson said after the meeting.
"No offense to the congrega-

November 17 . 2005

tional schools, but we have to
make a commitment to in-depth
Torah knowledge, Judaic knowl-
edge, in order to have a strong
Jewish community:' he said.
"Without a strong, knowledge-
able Jewish education for our
children, we will not have a
strong and viable Jewish com-
munity in the future."

Jewish Academy

It will cost about $8.5 million for
the plan to move the Jewish
Academy of Metropolitan Detroit
from modular housing to its new
home inside the Jewish
Community Center in West
Bloomfield.
Rabbi Lee Buckman, JAMD
head of school, said the cam-
paign already has been launched
and the hope is to have the build-
ing completed in time for the
2007-2008 academic year.
"We anticipate that enrollment
could grow into the 200 range,
and this nearly 50,000-square-
foot facility being constructed for
us in the JCC will adequately
house all of us and include an
enhanced science lab, media cen-
ter and art wing:' he said.
The Federation and the
Foundation are helping JAMD
President Larry Garon of

Franklin and Executive
Committee Vice President Marc
Borovoy of West Bloomfield
develop a plan, Rabbi Buckman
said.
JAMD's current enrollment is
175 students, and the long-term
projection is between 250 and
300 students in grades 9-12.
"We're confident, but realistic
that this will be a very challeng-
ing, time-intensive task:' Rabbi
Buckman said. "We don't have
any choice but to succeed!'
Assuming that the money is
raised, basically everything on
the second floor of the JCC main
building except the art gallery
will become JAMD space, said
Mark Lit, JCC executive director.
The executive offices and confer-
ence rooms will move to a new
three-story tower to be built near
the fitness area.
Lit calls the move a win-win
situation.
"Anything we do to get young
people into the JCC is a win for
the JCC," he said. "Having young
people feel that this is their home
is a big win. It's also a win
because this is a building of
300,000 square feet, and to have
another major tenant using a big
piece of the building is very help-
ful."

Peter Alter

Robert Aronson

Jewish Education Trust

Aronson also called for comple-
tion of the first phase of the
Jewish Education Trust, "the cen-
tral endowment fund, which all
our schools will be able to draw
on in the future for both capital
and operating needs."
The trust, which currently
stands at $6 million, was started
in 2002 with $10 million in seed
money and a goal of $50 million

for endowment, capital needs
and operational needs.
"It's over and above scholar-
ship funds and annual alloca-
tions. It's a central community
endowment just for day schools:'
he said. "The donor families will
make the decisions on where the
money should go."
Aronson told the IN he is seek-
ing one $10 million family gift to
name the trust, and other fami-
lies to donate $1 million.
Phase 1 of the trust is to get to
$25 million, he said.
"What we really need 25 years
from now or less is a trust of $50
million. It will still only produce
$2.5 million annually for all of
our day schools collectively.
"The problem is if each day
school tries to build its own
endowment on its own, they
keep talking to the same people
here Aronson said. "We don't
have many families here of
wealth that support day-school
education.
"Every family that has given $1
million has a representative sit-
ting around the table, and they
will review proposals coming
from all the day schools for any
kind of endowment need,
whether it be operating, scholar-
ship, capital:' he said.

Education on page 30

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