Publisher's Notebook
The Power Of New
I
t was the arrival of the New Year 5769. In lieu of
attending synagogue services, a group of neighbors
assembled at a nearby home, creating their own min-
yan. While the greetings and good wishes were verbally
robust, there was concern, even fear, in the eyes of those
gathered.
The economy was heading into a
tailspin. Wall Street was dropping
to its knees. And the Detroit area,
already in a nearly decade-long
recession, was beginning to entertain
the unthinkable — the possibility of
losing one, two or perhaps all three
of its once-mighty Big Three auto-
makers to bankruptcy. While no one
at the minyan could predict when we
might hit the bottom of this reces-
sion/depression, there was a strong
sense that the Detroit Jewish com-
munity and its philanthropic under-
pinnings would not be spared.
As we were preparing to leave to our respective homes,
to join our families in Kiddush and to say the Shehechiyanu
prayer of appreciation, one of the minyanaires, Eddy
Barak, reminded us that, regardless of
the uncertainties ahead, the health and
well being of our families and friends
remained paramount. With those
blessings secured, we could handle all
of the other stuff.
this year than in the past.
A small group of committed families and individuals
continue to provide a very substantial share of the dol-
lars raised for the Annual Campaign. But as their personal
investment portfolios have declined and the corpus of
their philanthropic funds have dwindled, their gifts are
likely to be less this year, too.
This is all a way of stating the Obvious ... while our
communal needs are greater than ever, there will be fewer
dollars from the Annual Campaign to address them. In
other comparable Jewish communities, such as Cleveland,
the decline in their annual campaigns has been in the 15-
20 percent range. Redirecting some campaign dollars away
from supporting essential projects in Israel and in stressed
Jewish communities around the world to meet local needs
will not fix what is likely to be a long-term structural
shortfall in dollars raised through our Federation's Annual
Campaign.
Moving Forward
For the local Jewish agencies that receive significant dol-
lars from the Annual Campaign, they will have to do more
with less ... and be willing players in streamlining and
consolidating services and infrastructure. The community
can no longer afford to fund the status
quo. And our lumbering community
decision-making process will have to be
dramatically compressed to stay ahead
of fast-moving economic and demo-
graphic trends.
At its upcoming annual meeting on
Sept.
24, Federation will officially wel-
Here And Now
come Scott Kaufman as its new chief
So, here we are, on the doorstep of
executive officer. As a lifelong Detroiter
the New Year 5770. We've elected a
who has achieved success as a business-
"yes we can" president and have been
man, knows the inner workings of the
mildly stimulated by a massive fed-
Jewish community and is a respected
eral government spending plan. We've
volunteer and strategist, Kaufman is
endured a General Motors bankruptcy,
well positioned to provide our lay and
a Chrysler sell-off and have been
professional leaders with a pat on the
gratified by a slightly stronger pulse at
back and a kick in the pants ... to respect and honor their
Ford. We've been disgusted by the absence of governance
records of achievement while making sure they buy into a
in the city of Detroit and in Lansing. We've seen friends
and neighbors reeling from job losses, business implosions vision of a different and streamlined, but still dynamic and
viable, Jewish Detroit and Southeast Michigan.
and decimated investment and retirement portfolios. And
In a recent New York Times magazine interview, former
while the worst of the recession is supposedly over in 49
Senate
Majority Leader Tom Daschle was asked what
other states, Michigan still hasn't hit bottom.
helped
him get through a recent, and very public, setback
In this continuing climate of economic uncertainty, fun-
in
his
political
career. "I've got this slogan that my family
damental and immediate changes are necessary in how we
—
they
grimace
when they hear me say it because I say
function, and support each other, as a Jewish community.
it
too
often:'
Daschle
said. "But I believe the windshield is
For multiple generations, the Jewish Federation of
bigger
than
the
rearview
mirror:'
Metropolitan Detroit's Annual Campaign has been the
The
message
for
us
is
clear
as we enter the Year 5770.
financial lifeblood of our community. The one-gift model,
While
we
can
dwell
on
what
was,
or what could have been,
where local and overseas needs are sifted through an array
as
individuals
and
as
a
Detroit
Jewish
community, let's
of committees and processes before dollars are allocated as
choose
to
look
through
the
big
windshield
of the future ...
part of an integrated planning mechanism, has withstood
to
new
opportunities,
new
discoveries
and
new
ways to be
the test of time.
of
service
to
our
families,
friends
and
community.
On a per-capita basis, our Federation's Annual Campaign
Gina, Dan, Adam and Stephanie join me in wishing you
has consistently outperformed every other North American
and
your families a year of health, peace and contentment.
Jewish community. However, as the community ages, its
Thank
you for your ongoing support of the Jewish News
overall numbers dwindle and alternative models of chari-
and
for
your personal friendships.
table giving make inroads, the once-broad base of con-
L'shanah
tovah. I 1
tributors to the Annual Campaign continues to erode. And
those gifts from the remaining base are likely to be less
Fundamen tal and
immediate changes
are necessary in
how we function,
and support each
other, as a Jewish
community.
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6
September 174, 2009