A Philanthropic Pillar

TESTIMONI

S & MEMORIES

Memories from page All

Joel Jacob and Bill Davidson

Holding That Final Note

Bill Davidson was a special mentor, and
I always enjoyed getting together with
him to talk about business and the com-
munity.
Each Rosh Hashanah, Bill and David
Hermelin would have a friendly bet on
how long I would be able to blow the
final note during the shofar service at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek. If a meeting
took place just before Rosh Hashanah,
Bill would try to get me to tell him how
long I thought I would be able to hold the
last note.
I always will remember the year
Bill gave $15 million to the Jewish
Theological Seminary. They gave him a
plaque with a shofar attached. After look-
ing at it on his desk during our meeting,
I told Bill that for a $15 million donation
they could have given him a higher-qual-
ity shofar with the plaque.
Without hesitation, Bill pulled the
shofar out of the plaque and asked me to
blow it. I remember several people came
running into his office to make sure
everything was OK.
We will sure miss Bill, but we always
will know that Bill Davidson's passion
and desire for excellence will continue to
inspire us all.
— Joel E. Jacob, West Bloomfield

Choose Integrity Over Greed

I was stunned to read the extent that
"prestigious" American corporations
helped fuel the Nazi extermination of
Jews ("American Corporate Complicity"
by Edwin Black, March 12, page A24). I
knew of Henry Ford's anti-Semitic pas-

Al2

March 26 2009

sions, but hadn't realized
Hitler's strong connection
to Rockefeller and Alfred
Sloan's General Motors
and never knew that IBM
"organized;' "systemized"
and "accelerated" the
Holocaust.
I will never look at the
IBM monthly newsletter
sent to my company's
mailbox the same way
again.
We know the damage
that large corporations
can create. We read daily
of the fallout from the
world's largest companies,
fueled by excess greed
and deception. Look at
the extent that the massive
insurance company, AIG,
has nearly decimated the world economy.
Honorable corporations take respon-
sibility and make amends for their past
actions, as have Ford and GM. And
thankfully, there are still business lead-
ers who choose integrity over a ruthless
desire for profits. We just lost one of the
best, Bill Davidson, who showed what
one man could achieve in business,
sports and life.
Running a company and surviving the
current economic
climate is very dif-
ficult. Those of us
who run businesses
are trying to balanc-
ing reducing costs
while still keeping
people employed.
We must turn
away from the
Arnie Goldman
mistakes of AIG
and IBM and focus
instead on becom-
ing optimistic, humble business visionar-
ies like Davidson. Our world, our state
and our town need more Bill Davidsons.
— Arnie Goldman, Farmington Hills
and president of a small Livonia company

Worthy Tribute

A superb job and wonderful tribute to Bill
Davidson. Fitting that the Jewish News
should own the story. The JN staff should
feel proud in giving this community such
a tribute to remember him as a person
and as a pillar of so much that we have
here today.
— Murray Feldman, anchor/
Money editor, FOX 2 NEWS, Southfield

A Community Growing

As a Jewish communal professional, I am
very aware of Mr. Davidson's many gifts to
the Detroit community, Israel and indeed
the world at large. But I was personally
touched by his philanthropy when I was
asked to participate in Synagogue 2000, a
project funded by the Hermelin-Davidson
Center for Congregational Excellence.
As a member of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek, I was asked to be part of their
Synagogue 2000 team. Synagogue 2000
asked its team members to think outside
of the box, to learn and to grow together
as a community.
Congregations and temples in Metro
Detroit and Windsor participated in
this project. We were given text to study
and asked to lead our teams in learning.
We were also invited to participate in
area conferences where we learned from
nationally known educators and innova-
tive thinkers like the rabbis from B'nai
Jeshurun in New York City and Dr. Ron
Wolfson.
This was a three-year program and at
the end, I was asked to join the board of
trustees of Shaarey Zedek.
While I was always committed to my
synagogue, my participation as a layper-
son was enhanced by my experience dur-
ing Synagogue 2000.
— Marianne Milgrom Bloomberg,
Farmington Hills

Connecting And Caring

Mr. Davidson's passing is a huge loss
not only to people like Joe Dumars and
Tom Wilson, who have been extensively
interviewed, but also to the myriad of
employees who did not have the privilege
of talking to him daily, but felt his pres-
ence and his leadership constantly.
When I worked at Guardian headquar-
ters, Mr. D would often walk the entire
building, stopping at most offices to say
hello and ask people what they were
working on. I was always impressed that
he not only knew everyone by name, but
that he remembered what you told him!
Weeks after I mentioned it to him, he'd
say, "Susan, did we close that real estate
deal yet or what is the status of that law-
suit?" I heard that he also walked through
the plants, calling people by name and
asking about spouses and children. He
demonstrated in very real ways that he
not only was incredibly sharp, but that
it was important to him to connect to
his employees and let them know that
he cared about them as people as well as
workers.

It is Mr. Davidson's inspiration that has
made Guardian/Palace wonderful places to
work, with excellent benefits, a wellness pro-
gram and a true sense of family and belong-
ing. You always knew that if you worked
hard and were loyal to him, he'd be loyal to
you. That's a pretty rare thing these days.
— Susan Greenfield, former Guardian
Industries staff attorney;
currently senior vice president and
general counsel, the Palace of Auburn
Hills and the Detroit Pistons

JN Coverage Welcomed

Upon setting the date and time of the
funeral for Bill Davidson for noon,
Tuesday, March 17, I envisioned the
Jewish News staff tirelessly working to
meet the deadline imposed for Thursday
delivery. There certainly was a mountain
of information gathered over decades of
Mr. Davidson's remarkable life that would
enable a tribute worthy of his achieve-
ments and his generosity.
On Wednesday, March 18, I had the
honor of being at
the Davidson home
when IN Publisher
Arthur Horwitz pre-
sented two bundles
of the newspapers
truly "hot off the
press." To my amaze-
, :
ment, this edition
David Techner
included beautiful
coverage of the
funeral held at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Southfield
Tuesday, giving Karen Davidson, Bill's wife,
a first look within 24 hours of the conclu-
sion of the funeral.
None of us who have taken the time
to reminisce over the extensive coverage
of Bill's life should take for granted the
Herculean task accomplished in putting
this tribute together. The dedication, skill
and journalistic integrity found in this
tribute were worthy of the man, a great
accomplishment to all who were respon-
sible for its content.
At a time where the print world of
newspapers are facing enormous chal-
lenges from the Internet, the Jewish News
staff can take a bow, for the coverage on
the Internet, although extensive, could
never measure up to the life story of Bill
Davidson told in your March 19 edition.
Yasher Koach on a job superbly done.
— David M. Techner, funeral director,
Ira Kaufman Chapel, Southfield

Memories on page A14