Judge Avern Cohn, right, passes the Butzel Award to Judge Paul D. Borman.

Defining Moments

Federation calls for action on communal responsibilities.

We don't want to leave our mortgage for
our children and grandchildren to pay."

Vivian Henoch
Special to the Jewish News

W

ith more than 400 in atten-
dance at its annual meeting
at the Jewish Community
Center in West Bloomfield, the combined
boards of the Jewish Federation and
United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan
Detroit set forth goals for the coming year.
Together with 19 partner agencies, the
Federation and Foundation comprise the
primary fundraising, planning, real estate
development and investment organization
of the Detroit Jewish community.
Reflecting on the meaning of leader-
ship and the tasks ahead in the face of
continued difficult economic challenges,
Federation CEO Robert P. Aronson said,
"As Jews, we are not free from our com-
munal responsibilities. We must respond
together. One community, one vision."
Focusing on the year ahead, Foundation
President Norman A. Pappas of Bloomfield
Hills said, "This is a time for accounting,
literally, figuratively and spiritually. What
if I told you there were a revolutionary
vehicle that could guarantee enough
income each year to provide a Jewish

Federation leadership: incoming president Nancy Grosfeld, immediate past president
Peter Alter, CEO Robert Aronson and Foundation president Norman Pappas.

education for our children, provide excel-
lent care for our elderly and provide for
emergencies?"
He then described Federation's
Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment
funds, explaining how every member of
the community has the "potential of being

an investor — a steward of the future!'
"The call to action is to account for our
charitable lives though our own individual
legacy," Pappas said. "We can be great
business people, but we need to be great
Jewish citizens as well. We all can play a
critical role in our history here in Detroit.

Looking Ahead
Completing his three-year term as
Federation president, Peter M. Alter of
Bloomfield Hills cited the community's
remarkable generosity — a commitment
of the mind, heart and spirit.
"The community rose to its challenges
and responded in record numbers to the
emergency in Israel as well as to the emer-
gency caused by the stark economic reali-
ties here in southeast Michigan."
Elaborating on the Federation's highest
priorities, Jewish education and eldercare
services, Alter described two important
initiatives undertaken this past year — a
Jewish school system "to carry the com-
munity into the next generation" and a
"centralized seamless service delivery
system" to provide care for older adults
residing in Jewish communal housing or
the community at large.
"Through our Pillars Campaign, we
are committed to raising $100 million to
address these community priorities so
that our future will be secure Alter said.

Defining Moments on page 16

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September 27 • 2007

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