Opinion Editorials are posted and archived on JNonline.us . Publisher's Letter In Pursuit Of Vibrancy T o Our Readers: As we sit together with family and friends, around a festive dinner table and in synagogue, there is much to ponder. While the introspection necessary to strengthen Arthur our relationship with Horwit God during and beyond Presiden the Days of Awe between Publish Rosh Hashanah and Yom . Kippur are enough to overwhelm most minds, the world and the community in which we live has changed in significant ways, too. Let's stay close to home. The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's recently released demographic study provides a revealing snapshot of a community in the "best of times ., worst of times" mode (with apologies to Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities). On the one hand, the study shows the Detroit Jewish community to be the most generous in America, with remarkable institutions and infrastructure and high levels of Jewish affiliation and involve- ment. The community, according to the study, is politically active and remains geographically cohesive, with its popu- lation rooted in southeastern Oakland County. The common thread that links the Detroit Jewish community is the Jewish News. According to the study, 23,400 of the 30,000 households that comprise the Jewish community read the Jewish News with some frequency. And within the southeast Oakland County core area, an astonishing 88 percent of the households report reading the Jewish News with some frequency. The Federation study's demographer, Dr. Ira Sheskin, found the Jewish News to be the most widely read Jewish publication • among the 30-plus Jewish communities he has studied. On the other hand, the community is shrinking, numbering 24,000 fewer than in 1989, when the last population study was fielded. We have more elderly in need of care and fewer young families to serve. Will one of North America's great Jewish communities slowly whither and die, the result of a region-wide economic down- turn that appears to limit employment and career opportunities? Or will the resources and creativity at our disposal lead to a gradual reversal of this trou- bling trend? As the data are studied, the task forces are formed and the inevitable hand wring- " 76 September 21 e 2006 ing continues, I believe there is a remarkable opportunity to rejuve- nate the Detroit Jewish community, making it attractive for newcomers and a place where natives will want to stay ... or return to. Ideas To Consider In the hopes of stimulating dis- cussion (perhaps around your holiday table), here are some sug- gestions: • Package Ann Arbor with Detroit when marketing and promoting the attributes of living in the Detroit Jewish community. This is not about merging the Detroit and Washtenaw federations! Rather, Detroit needs the lure of Ann Arbor, a great col- lege city possessing culture, vibrancy, youthfulness and jobs to attract newcom- ers and retain them. For those already residing in Farmington Hills and West Bloomfield, Ann Arbor is closer, more convenient and alluring than downtown Detroit. From now on, let's sell ourselves as the Detroit-Ann Arbor Jewish com- munity. • Coordinate job opportunities. On occasion, I am asked, "I am looking for a dentist to join my practice. Do you know of any?" Or, "I have a successful CPA firm and am looking for an associate who would like to be a partner. Do you know of any?" There are Jewish groups in the Detroit area who are quietly looking to match employers and employees as a way to keep community members from moving away. Can we create a centralized, highly visible job bank for the Jewish community? A young Jewish dentist shouldn't move to Florida with his fam- ily because he wasn't aware of excellent opportunities in his home community. • Undertake a Neighborhood Project- type effort to attract and retain families, especially those with children. In the mid-1980s, the Federation's Neighborhood Project, which provided attractive loans primarily for home purchase and home improvement, helped stabilize parts of Oak Park and Southfield. With a nine- figure endowment, the Jewish Federation should find ways to make dollars avail- able to young families ... perhaps in the form of vouchers for Jewish pre-school education, synagogue membership, tuition relief, home purchases, etc. The Jewish community of Cleveland is already doing a variant of this to address its declining Jewish population. We should never reject a good concept because it originated else- where! • Advertise in the Jewish News. The surest way to re-image and rejuvenate the community, and its institutions, is through the Jewish News. A consistent and creative advertising presence in the Jewish News by Federation, the Jewish Community Center, Jewish Family Service, synagogues and other communal institutions will be seen by 78 percent of the Detroit area's Jewish households ... 88 percent of those residing in the core area. The Jewish News is the common thread that still links the community. What will our Jewish community look like in 2020? If we do nothing, it's likely we'll just ride the trend lines and num- ber, perhaps, 50,000. Today, our median age is . 47. In 20 years, without interven- tion, our median age will be "retired." The JeWiSh News' vibrancy and suc- cess hinges on the vibrancy and success of the Detroit Jewish community. We pledge to do .our part to meet and exceed your information needs while providing leadership and ideas to make sure our community remains one of America's best, for young and old. E L'shana TOVah, Dry Bones ONCE AGAIN, ON ROSH HASNANA, WE WILL DIP APPLE SLICES IN HONEY AND WISH FOR A SWEET NEW YEAR SHANA TOVA YEAR AFTER YEAR WE DIP THE APPLE SLICES INTO HONEY, ROPING FOR A SWEET NEW YEAR Honey ROPING AND DIPPING, HOPING AND DIPPING. PERSONALLY, I MINI( WE'RE IN IT FOR THE HONEY, Honey l www.dry onesb og.com