Metro
BUTZEL AWARD WINNER
Jackier from page A19
what my parents did; we also talked
at home a lot about their activities. As
the first-born son in the family, I sort
of instinctively followed in my parents'
footsteps."
Raised in Detroit, he graduated from
Mumford High School, the University
of Michigan and Yale University's law
school. "But it was that trip through
Dachau that made me fully understand
what my parents had been saying to me
all along," he reflected.
The Jackiers were good friends of
Detroit philanthropists Sam and Jean
Frankel, the two couples having met
when they all were students at U-M.
Joseph was from Pennsylvania and
Edythe from New York. Young Larry
developed a lasting friendship of 60 years
with their son, Stanley, also now a Jewish
community leader. "The Frankels [Sam
died earlier this year)]were like an aunt
and uncle to me, and Stan is like a first
cousin;' Jackier said.
"Stan has been there with me through
every point of my community service. He
nominated me for the old United Jewish
Appeal Young Leadership Cabinet, and,
since then, we've been like Jewish com-
mandoes, attending meetings, serving
on committees, taking trips abroad, then
Stanley Frankel and Larry Jackier in Israel, circa 1980
returning to share our knowledge with
the local community."
Added Frankel: "We went to camp
together, davened together and laughed
and cried together."
Behind The Man
Jackier is proud to receive the Butzel
Award, but even more proud that
Frankel, of Bloomfield Township, who is
a prominent real estate developer in the
Detroit area, presented him with it at the
Federation's annual meeting at the Jewish
Community Center in West Bloomfield.
Frankel likened him to Noah, pointing
out that the Torah says, "Noah was a righ-
teous man in his generation; and, like
Noah, Larry is a righteous man in our
generation."
Frankel described Jackier as a "natural
leader in a leadership position, listing his
qualities as "determination to improve
our community; concern for all those in
need; love of Israel and its future; caring
for those around him, and devotion to
learning — be it law, the Hebrew lan-
guage or his study of our sacred texts."
Frankel revealed Jackier's role on
a 1974 mission to Poland of "secretly
smuggling" out of the country six rolls
of microfilm of the famous Ringelbloom
Diaries, a history of the Warsaw Ghetto
during World War II, and delivering them
to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in
Israel. Frankel also told of how Jackier, on
a 1978 trip to Romania, "liberated many
holy texts that were rotting in old empty
shuls." They are now in the library at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek of Oakland
County, where the Jackier family is affili-
ated.
Butzel Ties
Ironically, Jackier might never have
performed his community service in
Michigan, or received the Butzel Award,
if it hadn't been for another Butzel fam-
ily member. After graduating from U-M,
Joseph and Edythe Jackier decided to
The Urgency Of Giving
Federations leaders
vow continued aid
for people in need.
T
he new year of 5769 offers a
host of economic and demo-
graphic challenges as well as
the need to maintain support for Israel
and a level of assistance elsewhere in
the diaspora. Local needs will be fore-
most, says the lay leader of our chief
planning and fundraising agency.
"We will come together to do
whatever it takes to help those who
are less fortunate," Nancy Grosfeld,
president of the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit, told 300
guests at the joint annual meeting of
Federation and its investment/land
management arm, the United Jewish
Foundation, Sunday night.
"Those who can give will give. Those
who can step up will, and should step
up. We'll give of our time and we'll give
of our resources," she said.
The 2009 Annual Campaign goal is
$34 million, the same as 2008. Judy
A20
October 16 T 2008
and Stanley Frankel of Bloomfield Hills
them here. "We hope to build on our
have committed $6 million for the
community's strengths and emphasize
supplemental Challenge Fund, bringing
social outreach, networking and some
the total to $40 million. Last year's
type of jobs/internship component,"
Rebecca and Gary Sakwa
Grosfeld said. "Our Young Adult
Challenge Fund raised $8.25
Division will play an important
million for children and
role in this process."
families at risk locally and in
Federation won't diminish
Israel.
its commitment to Israel and
Federation will continue
will strive to maintain a similar
its "No Family Stands Alone"
level of assistance. "Under con-
campaign in the wake of
stant threat and missile attacks
Michigan's dire economy.
from their neighbors," Grosfeld
Nancy G rosfeld
"We've had record-break-
said, "our Israeli family contin-
ing numbers and amounts
ues to struggle with political,
of requests to our agencies
social and economic challenges
for emergency financial
and uncertainty."
assistant, loans, employ-
Grosfeld also addressed two
ment assistance, assistance
Federation pillar campaigns:
with accessing medical care,
Jewish elderly and Jewish edu-
helping people pay their
cation.
Robert A
mortgages, and scholarship
First, she cited the 25 per-
support for day schools, day
cent of our Jewish community
care and camps," Grosfeld said.
that is older than 65 and the 22 per-
Identifying young leaders and involv- cent between 50 and 64. Care giving
ing them in the community is a key
is widely prevalent. "As these trends
to securing Jewish Detroit's future.
continue," Grosfeld said, "a new seam-
Federation is working to develop a plan less, more centralized system serving
to retain young adults and also attract
more people is needed."
To that end, Jewish Apartments and
Services and Jewish Home and Aging
Services continue merger talks. "We
are making great progress and we will
continue to make raising additional
fund a top priority to support this new
system," Grosfeld said.
Last year, Federation completed
a review and visioning process for
Jewish education. This pillar campaign
is aimed at keeping our learning net-
work for all ages a national model.
"We are a strong community and we
are not a community that sits back
and waits for something to happen,"
Grosfeld said. "We make things hap-
pen."
Federation CEO Robert Aronson said
in these times of financial instability
and widespread concern, we cannot
afford to panic or despair. We should
embrace resolve and determination.
"For those of us who are the keepers
of our community," Aronson said, "our
responsibilities are clear: to transform
our belief into mitzvot, our faith into
action."
- Robert Sklar, editor