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'Mr. Jewish Education'

Bill Berman is a major force
shaping future generations.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman

which came the creation of the
Mandell L. Berman Center at the
North American Jewish Data Bank at
f someone asked me to invent a
the University of Connecticut and the
major donor who understands
Berman Jewish Policy Archive at New
fully what we are trying to
York University.
accomplish for Jewish education, I
Berman played a key role in the
would invent Bill Berman:' said Dr.
formation of JESNA in 1981, having
Donald Sylvan, president of Jewish
served for 10 years as chairman of
Education Service of North America
its predecessor agency, the American
(JESNA) in New York.
Association for Jewish Education.
"What he gives is so much more
JESNA's Mandell L. Berman Jewish
than money; he is fighting along with
Heritage Center for Research and
us. Bill believes in what we do so
Evaluation in Jewish Education was
completely. He is a booster, a problem
established in 1992 to honor Berman,
solver and participant
current honorary chair and
extraordinaire."
recipient of the 1992 Mesorah
Berman's Jewish
Award for Outstanding
educational involve-
Leadership in Jewish
ment stretches from day
Education.
schools to synagogue
The center furthers
religious schools and
Berman's dedication to the
universities. It affects
use of research and evalua-
communities and indi-
tion to improve the quality of
viduals in Detroit and far
Jewish education as the cen-
beyond. It is fitting that
Dr. Donald Sy Ivan
tral information resource for
Mandell L. "Bill" Berman
Jewish educational research
so often is referred to as
and evaluation in North
"Mr. Jewish Education."
America.
Berman has served
"Bill is a partner in what
as president of Metro
we're all about," Sylvan said.
Detroit's United Hebrew
"I love and care about him so
Schools and was the first
much. In the entire history
chairman of the Skillman
of JESNA, we have only had
Foundation, a Detroit-
one dinner to honor someone
based grantmaking
— and that was Bill Berman."
organization whose aim
Steve Freedm an
is to help develop good
School After School
schools and good neigh-
Barry W. Holtz is dean of the
borhoods for children.
William Davidson Graduate
Berman was involved
School of Jewish Education
in the creation of the pro-
at the Jewish Theological
gram that would become
Seminary in New York, part of
Federation's Alliance for
Conservative Judaism.
Jewish Education/Jewish
Describing Berman as "a
Experiences for Families,
passionate leader in Jewish
which works with local
education," Holtz expressed
Barry Holtz
congregations, agen-
gratitude and admiration for
cies and lay committees
Berman.
to create experiences for families to
"Mr. Berman has been supporting
strengthen their Jewish identity and
JTS for decades and has particularly
build positive Jewish memories. The
funded a scholarship at the Davidson
program has been imitated in Jewish
graduate school for years:' Holtz said.
communities throughout the country.
"He served on the Davidson School's
advisory board and was committed to
Notable Head Counts
the vision of his lifelong friend [fellow
In 1989 and 2005, Berman chaired
Detroiter] Bill Davidson.
two Jewish population studies, from
"The students who have been recip-

Senior Writer

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June 4 a 2009

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