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A Philanthropic Pillar

TESTIMONIALS & MEMORIES

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Memories from page Al2

Learning From The Master

Remarks offered by Federation CEO
Robert Aronson during shivah services
March 19 at Congregation Shaarey
Zedek in Southfield.

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American Friends of The Hebrew University
and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
are deeply saddened by the passing of
Bill Davidson
We salute Mr. Davidson's lifetime of extraordinary
accomplishments, as well as his dedication to Israel
and the Jewish people.
May Bill Davidson's memory and legacy
live on as an inspiration to others.

We offer our heartfelt condolences
to the entire Davidson family.

American Friends of The Hebrew University

Ira Lee Sorkin
Chairman

Peter T. Willner
National
Executive Director

George A. Schieren
President

Judith Schenkman
Midwest Region,
Executive Director

The Zionist Organization of America-Michigan Region

joins with the community
in mourning the passing of

Bill Davidson

a true Zionist in his support and
good deeds on behalf of the State of Israel.

The Officers and Board of Directors of ZOA-MI

ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA

119,9SO

A14

March 26 . 2009

I

t was my great privilege to work
for Bill Davidson on his Jewish
philanthropy. Well, the truth is, I
didn't so much work for him as learn
from him.
Bill has a unique and visionary
approach to his philanthropy. He
did not wait in his office for people
to come and ask him for money; in
fact, he was not interested in this
approach to giv-
ing although he
always took the
time to speak
with visiting uni-
versity presidents
and other high
officials from
around the world.
You see, Bill
developed his
own philanthrop-
ic projects. He
had an idea and
then he would
approach the
people he trusted
to make it hap-
Robert Aronson
pen.
His ideas were
about people, not buildings. Bill
believed strongly in investing in the
next generation — be it in training
Jewish educators and other profes-
sionals or Israeli children in the
sciences or business managers world-
wide.
Imagine how surprised these peo-
ple were when Bill would call and say,
"I have an idea." And these ideas were
always bigger then the institution had
even imagined.
Many donors wait to be stroked
and recognized. Bill hated that. He
wanted to accomplish things on a
scale previously unheard of.
Jon Aaron [Mr. Davidon's son-in-
law], you referred in his eulogy to the
fact that Bill's meetings were short.
This was not because he had nothing
to say. It was because he only said
something once and expected you to

understand. Believe me, we listened
carefully.
He entrusted these big ideas to a
small circle of people. If you were
honest and spoke the truth, even
if there were problems, he would
understand. If you were evasive and
withheld information, the project was
over — and so was his trust.
Bill loved Jewish life and the
State of Israel, where he was both a
charitable and business investor. He
invested most of all in our young
people because he appreciated more
than most that we must train the best
educators and the best
professional leaders
for the future. His
efforts have already
created a new move-
ment of inspired
Jewish leadership
throughout our coun-
try and the world.
There are people
who see only what
they want. There are
people who dimly see
a horizon and try to
walk toward it. And
then there are those
very few who see
beyond the horizon
and know where they
are going even if oth-
ers cannot understand it.
Bill Davidson was that special man.
It was the greatest honor in my life to
be able to learn from him.
— Robert Aronson, CEO,
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, and Jewish philanthropy
adviser to Bill Davidson

Correction

Bill Davidson and Max Fisher

died four years apart ("Share

Your Memories Of Mr. D," March

19, page A32). Davidson died

March 13, 2009, at age 86. Max

Fisher died March 3, 2005, at

age 96.

