Detroit Demographics 0 N F coy ER The Jewish Community of Detroit Hand in Hand from page 17 78,000 persons live in 30,000 Jewish households, of whom 71,500 persons are Jewish + 500 Jews in institutions for a total of 72,000 Jews Non-Jews 6,500 1989: 106,250 persons lived in 42,500 Jewish households, of whom 96,000 persons were Jewish Household Structure Single Parent with .Children Age 0-17 at Home 3% 65+ Married, No Children at Home 15% Married with Children Age 0-17 at Home 27% Under 65 Married, No Children at Home 14% Other 6% Household with Only Adult Children Age 18-29 at Home 7% Single 65+ 23% 18 June 8 • 2006 Single Under 65 6% just buildings. He also said the community has come a long way in caring for the elderly in the past 16 years. "Basically, our services for the elderly were 300 people in a nurs- ing home," he said. "Now we've expanded our services to literally thousands of seniors, providing in-home support, transportation and now an Alzheimer's program in the Jewish Home & Aging Services. "We've done a good job, but we're going to be challenged to do a lot more he said. "People tend to fund things that are build- ings. But we also have to be able to sell people on services. If we could get someone to endow in-home support, trans- portation — those things are harder to sell, but hopefully, people will see that that's as important as buildings. "Letting people age in place in our existing insti- tutions so that they can live in dignity in their 80s and 90s is a high calling and we've got to figure out how to help them do it." — Robert Naftaly, Federation past president The population study cost $300,000 and includes any follow-up, said Population study co-chair Howard Neistein, Federation Michael- Stein of Birmingham chief administrative officer. It said he is pleased with the num- was mostly funded by grants bers that show a high level of and donors, including the cohesiveness compared to other Bethea and Irwin Green College Jewish communities around the Life Fund, the Irving A. Rubin country, but is concerned about Jewish Community Trust for the the shrinking population. Elderly, the Jewish Fund, Jewish "We have to determine if this Women's Foundation, Jewish is a long-term trend or is this News, Madeleine and Bill Berman, something that is going to taper Nancy and James Grosfeld, off, and do we have a possibility Schulman Youth Group Initiative to grow," he said. "If the trend Fund and Shiffman Day School continues, we're going to have to Tuition Assistance Fund. reorient a number of the services we're likely going to be required The Jewish News will provide to give to our constituents:' more in-depth analysis of the Robert Naftaly, a Federation 2005 Population Study next week past president, agreed with and beyond. Aronson and said he saw a need for increased elderly services, not 20- to 30-year-olds statewide," she said. "Our demographic study indicates that this trend exists within the Jewish community. While we need to examine this data more closely, it is clear that we are an aging population. This brings with it specific challenges, such as the need to capture dol- lars to provide for aging services. "We also need to reach out to families with young children in order to increase attendance in our preschools and our Jewish day schools. Strengthening Jewish identity needs to be in the forefront of our thinking." "Letting people age in our existing institutions so they can live in dignity is a high calling; we've got to figure out how to help them do it."