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Sam Frankel: Passing Of A Pioneer

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Passing Of A Pioneer from page A16

"Sam Frankel was a passionate
human being with immense skill,
foresight and wisdom. In the realm
of philanthropy, he and his wife,
Jean, deliberated carefully so that
their gifts inspired others to give
generously as well. Congregation
Shir Tikvah is a thriving congrega-
tion because of the generosity of t
Frankels. Sam made clear that he
*'would support us financially only
we could demonstrate our ability t
sustain ourselves.
"His suggestions were always
"thoughtful and came only after active
listening, penetrating questions and
compassionate understanding. They
took a personal interest in me and
my life and the life of the congre-
gation. I loved my visits with the
Frankels and cherish the memories of
these dear people."

Rabbi Arnie Sleutelberq
Congregation Shir Tikvah

Troy

"Mr. Sam Frankel I was an inspi-
rational patron who saw the world
through the lens of eternity and has
helped assure with his generosity
that the Jewish community will not
only continue to survive, but will
flourish. He elevated the dignity and
respect of those he helped, and we
are honored that our school carries
his and his beloved wife's good name.
"Mr. Frankel has allowed gen-
erations of Jews to become closer
to their heritage, Torah and Klal
Yisrael. May his memory always be a
blessing."

Dr. Marc Borovoy, president
Jean and Samuel Frankel Jewish Academy

of Metropolitan Detroit
West Bloomfield

"Sam Frankel was a fabulous per-
son. It's no exaggeration to say
that he loved the Detroit Symphony
Orchestra, and, over the course of his
lifetime, he did spectacular things for
the symphony. He was crucial to the
Save Orchestra Hall campaign, giv-
ing his time and money unstintingly
– and, most importantly, his counsel.
He always spoke his mind and his
advice was timely and valuable.
"Sam Frankel was the guy who
really gathered folks together as
patrons in the development of the
Max Fisher Center. He will be missed
by all those associated with the sym-
phony."

Jim Nicolson, board chair
Detroit Symphony Orchestra

A18 Apri)10 • 2008

Detroit philanthropists Max Fisher, Paul Zuckerman and Sam Frankel at a Jewish Welfare Federation meeting in Detroit, 1972

Jewish Involvement
In the 1950s, Mr. Frankel began acquiring land at Maple and
Drake roads in West Bloomfield, the current site of the Jewish
Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit's D. Dan and Betty
Kahn Building. As the years passed, he became involved with
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit and provided the major
funding for the Judaic Studies Department at the University of
Michigan. He was president of what was then called United Jewish
Charities, Federation's asset-holding arm, and gave both financial
and mortal support to many Federation projects, especially in the
areas of education.
"He saw the big picture when it came to the Jewish community
and to Detroit,"Aronson said.
"Sam had a complete understanding of Jewish education, both
here in the United States and worldwide. He created the first teen
mission, with the synagogues of Metro Detroit. We said, 'How will
we be able to send all those teens to Israel?' He said,'Do it!"
Sam and Jean Frankel's $2 million challenge grant to the multi-
stream Jewish high school that now bears their name allowed the
school to construct a permanent home on the second floor of the
Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. The school raised
a total of $8.5 million for the capital construction, spearheaded by
the Frankel gift. This is on top of the Frankels' 2002 grant to the
school, which totaled $20 million in gifts and matching funds.

Adat Shalom Connection
"Sam Frankel was a dedicated and active member of Adat Shalom
for over 50 years, whose commitment and generosity have been
instrumental in our success and our ability to continue to pros-
per today and into the future," said David Schostak, Adat Shalom
president.
"Sam Frankel was a titan of the Jewish community," said Daniel
Nevins, former rabbi of Adat Shalom. "Behind the scenes,
he considered the needs of the Jewish people, and he made
extraordinary things happen.
"A special passion of his was Jewish education. The Frankel

school in Jerusalem that he and Jean founded has become a flag-
ship institution that spawned dozens of schools around Israel, and
has brought Torah to tens of thousands of children each year.
"In Michigan, Sam invested in Jewish education from pre-
school through the university. It is impossible to measure the
impact of the scholarship that he has supported.
"Whenever I visited with Sam, I was struck by his sharp intel-
ligence, his self-effacing humor and his genuine compassion for
other people,' said Nevins. "In recent years, he has been very frail,
yet he never stopped caring about his community or investing in
its future. You see these same beautiful qualities in his family.
"I know that Sam's legacy will continue to be felt throughout the
Jewish world for many generations to come."

Love Of Music
When the Detroit Symphony Orchestra opened the Max M. Fisher
Music Center in 2003, the name of Sam Frankel was not on the
marquee. However, the philanthropist was the principal fundraiser
for the project, which renovated and added to Detroit's former
Orchestra Hall.
In an interview with the Jewish News, Mr. Frankel said he
had been disgusted with the ambiance and acoustics at Ford
Auditorium, the hall on Jefferson at the foot of Woodward Avenue
where the DSO had performed for 35 years.
"It was not meant for classical music:' he said. "It was meant for
drum majors."
Mr. Frankel led the group that bought out Orchestra Hall's mort-
gage, was a major donor to the Save Orchestra Hall campaign and
drummed up many other donors.
"When the opportunity arises to save something, you take it,"
Mr. Frankel told the Jewish News. "I couldn't believe it when I saw
it — the hall was dark and vandalized. I just thought we should
have a cultural center, and here was the start."
Federation past President Penny Blumenstein is a current vice-
chair of the Detroit Symphony board of directors.
"These things don't just happen," Blumenstein said. "You need