Publisher's Notebook

Jewish Detroit Must Save Itself

W

ith the recent announcement that Quicken Loans'
relocation to downtown Detroit will usher in
the era of "Detroit 2.0," company chairman Dan
Gilbert expanded upon a blueprint for a regional economic
future built around technology and brainpower. The days of
"Detroit 1.0',' a massive bricks-and-
mortar manufacturing and indus-
trial base that propelled our region's
economy for most of the 20th century,
are drawing to a painful close with
ramifications not seen since the Great
Depression.
Richard Manoogian, the respected
chairman of Taylor-based Masco
Corporation, told CNBC news the
same day of Gilbert's announcement
that Michigan and Detroit are now
facing up to the reality that today is
not like the old days, when a cyclical
automotive downturn would be followed by a surge of growth
and hiring. This downsizing, he said, is more permanent and
the challenge is to redirect our talent pool into other growing
fields.
Our local Jewish community needs to accept and act upon
the same facts.
Today is not like the old days of "Jewish Detroit 1.0," when
Israel was a fragile experiment and virtually all dollars, over-
seas and local, were raised on its compelling story of rebirth
and survival. In those days, the Michigan economy was still
growing; residential, commercial and industrial real estate
development were solid investments and Detroit's Jewish
community was toasted as one of best in the country at rais-
ing dollars for Jewish causes.
With Michigan in a continuing one-state economic depres-
sion, we must move into a "Jewish Detroit 2.0" mode, one that
recognizes our region's new economic and demographic reali-
ties and our need for self-preservation as a vibrant and vital
Jewish community. We must balance this
with an updated and more realistic rela-
tionship with Israel.

Driving The Upgrade

Institute of Technology, Hadassah, Bar-Ilan University, Magen
David Adorn, Weizmann Institute of Science, Friends of the
Israel Defense Forces, the Jerusalem Foundation and State of
Israel Bonds.
• The 2005 Detroit Jewish Community Demographic Study
reported a population of 72,000, down from the estimated
96,000 counted in 1989.
• Today, the Detroit Jewish community likely numbers
closer to 67,500 (here is an empirical gauge: the number of
funerals handled by Ira Kaufman Chapel, Dorfman Chapel
and Hebrew Memorial Chapel + the number of graduating
college seniors who no longer have Michigan residency + the
number of people moving out of Michigan for retirement or
economic reasons = approximately 2,250 per year).
• Outside of Florida, Detroit has the highest concentration
of people older than 65 of any American Jewish community.
Among this group are Detroit's most generous and influential
philanthropists, including a large sub-group who are 80 years
of age or more.
• Local safety-net agencies, like Jewish Family Service,
Hebrew Free Loan, JVS and Yad Ezra, are serving record num-
bers of clients.
• The volume of local residents requesting financial assis-
tance for their children to attend day schools and camping
programs is growing, as is the amount of scholarship dollars
they need.
• People who have been givers all of their lives are now ask-
ing the community for financial assistance.

Potential Sparkplugs

With these points in mind, here are suggestions on how to
move forward with a "Jewish Detroit 2.0":
• Change the narrative. Our top professional and lay leaders
must re-orient and re-educate our community to the needs
we have here — social and economic — and convey that for
us to be helpful to Israel and others, we have to assure our
own strength and survival.

We must move into a "Jewish Detroit 2.0"
mode, one that recognizes our region's new
economic and demographic realities.

Let's remember the following as we
upgrade to "Jewish Detroit 2.0":
• Our region has many positives, includ-
ing great research universities and world-
class health systems, affordable housing,
abundant natural resources and one of the country's most
remarkable Jewish communal infrastructures.
•With assets in excess of $560 million, our United Jewish
Foundation trails only the Kresge Foundation and is virtu-
ally neck-and-neck with the Skillman Foundation and the
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan in total
assets.
• In 2006, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
raised more than S48 million, approximately $33 million from
its Annual Campaign. Due to a one-time Israel emergency
campaign, about half of the total raised went to Israel.
• Detroit's Jewish community provides significant finan-
cial support and leadership to several Israel-focused orga-
nizations, including Jewish National Fund, Technion-Israel

•Slow and reverse the out-migration trend. This requires
a true sense of urgency and commitment on the part of our
professional and lay leadership. They all need to live it and
own it, 24/7. It requires our community's version of a Marshall
Plan. It isn't sexy, but it is necessary.
•Re-balance the relationship with all Israel-focused phi-
lanthropy. It's time for Israel's mainstream leaders to thank
our community for all we have done to build and strengthen
Israel since 1948 and, while welcoming our financial support
to help in the absorption of immigrants and the strengthen-
ing of Jewish identity among our own families and children,
encourage us to invest our philanthropic dollars in our own

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Publisher's Notebook on page 6

November 29 * 2007

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