UND
TOWN
Money-Saving Milestone
National Council of Jewish Women celebrates 75 years of thrift shops.
Cathy Cantor (NCJW local president) and Susan Gertner (local executive director),
Margie and Burt Ansel! of Bloomfield Township, Sally Green of West Bloomfield and
both of West Bloomfield
Harold Katzman of Bloomfield Hills
B
ack in 1934, when Detroit was cheering on the Tigers and Jewish superstar
Hank Greenberg was racking up home runs, a group of Jewish women quietly
got together and hit one out of the park with an idea that still endures today.
The National Council of Jewish Women opened its first thrift shop that year. Now, 75
years later, the organization still operates two money-saving
shops that sell high-quality luxury goods, housewares and acces-
sories in Berkley and Royal Oak.
"They have been in continuous operation in various locations
for all these years," said Sharon Lipton of Waterford.
She co-chaired "Floats, Food & Fun," a June 11 anniversary
celebration at the Parade Company in Detroit, along with
Myrna Edgar of Birmingham. About 180 people attended the
evening of Detroit delights with food from local chefs, a display
of thrifty fashions, music, dancing and a raffle amid the city's
Thanksgiving Day Parade floats.
"I'm not amazed by the longevity of the thrift shops," Lipton
continued. "But it is a challenge these days. We don't get as much
Libby Sherbin of West Bloomfield and
Jennifer LoPatin of Bloomfield Hills
Judi Freund of Waterford, Mary
Schwartz of Farmington Hills and
Beverly Stone of West Bloomfield
merchandise as we used to. In this economy, many people are holding onto their better-
quality items longer:'
The Greater Detroit Section of NCJW is marking another milestone this year, 118
years of community service. The group, part of the oldest Jewish women's organization
in the country, also works with women's shelters, homeless students, provides kosher
meals on wheels and other programs that the thrift shops help sustain.
"When you donate to the thrift shops, you're doing a mitzvah; you're doing a good
deed:' Lipton said. "We're another resource, not just for the Jewish community, but also
for the general community"
Spotted in the crowd at the Parade Company were: Marcy Tucker, Judy Robinson,
Pam Friedman, Andy Sofen, David Cantor, and Jennifer and Mark LoPatin, all of
West Bloomfield; Sandy Nathan of Birmingham; Marlene Goodman of Farmington
Hills; Jenny Nathan of Royal Oak; and Sandi and Steven Matz of Franklin.
For more information about the National Council of Jewish Women or to make
a donation to the thrift shops, go to www.ncjwgds.org or call (248) 355-3300.
Sandi Matz of Franklin, Marsha Zucker
Ina Katz and Dr. Bernard Maza, both of
of Huntington Woods and Marlene
Goodman of West Bloomfield
West Bloomfield
June 25 2009
A13