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Special Report
TIME TO STEP UP
Community Builder from page 13
Scott Kaufman is an avid skier. Here ie is on the slopes at Hanging Valley in Colorado.
"While Scott has been an excellent
brother, he is a phenomenal uncle Robin
said. "He is a constant in their lives and
although he may be the new CEO of
Federation to the rest of the community, to
them he is still Uncle, a wonderful friend;
and to Lee and me, he is the greatest uncle
and best baby sitter:'
The siblings are so close that Kaufman
was the "maid of honor" at his sister's
wedding.
Stuart Kaufman recalled a dramatic
time his son first showed his calm under
pressure. It was a Sunday afternoon; Scott
was 11 and staying alone with his sister
for the first time. Three armed burglars
entered the house.
"He told his sister to get in the corner
and told them they could have whatever
they wanted, just don't hurt his sister,"
Stuart said. "He was always protective. He
gave the police a description down to their
toenails. He did an amazing job:'
Scott sees it as an early life lesson.
"I had to remain calm and think clearly
to get through the situation — and I did,
at age 11;' he said. "Remaining steady
under pressure is an important part of
this job:'
Kaufman followed the Woods routine
— Burton Elementary, Norup Middle
School and Berkley High School. He's a
member of Facebook groups for all three
as well as one called I Love Huntington
Woods.
As a teen, he was founding president
of BBYO's Raoul Wallenberg AZA chapter,
which no longer exists.
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October 1 • 2009
JN
"During the finals of an AZA champi-
onship, I had my all-time greatest sports
accomplishment:' Kaufman recalled. "The
three best players were away at a tourna-
ment. I was a bench warmer and I had to
start. Normally I was a terrible basket-
ball player, but for that shining moment, I
couldn't miss. I made five for five outside
shots and we won. Its been downhill ever
since:'
At the University of Michigan, he was a
general studies major, spending his junior
year in Florence, Italy. "I was peripherally
involved with Jewish things — there were
a lot of protests about Soviet Jewry — but
I wasn't all that connected."
After college, he worked in real estate
management, then managed a high-end
children's ski shop in Aspen.
Simply being a young Jewish kid from
Detroit was how he met many of Detroit's
most philanthropic families like the
Shermans, Hermelins and Schostaks. They
all shopped in his store and invited him
home for Shabbat dinners and seders.
"That was the first outreach to make me
feel part of the Detroit Jewish community:'
he said.
The relationships continued when he
moved back home. And he picked right
back up with many childhood friends,
including some from his years at Camp
Sea-Gull near Charlevoix.
"He is a great long-term person because
he builds great relationships over a long
period of time and because people trust
him," Siegel said. "He had extraordinary
grassroots support from many strata in
the community."
Among those supporters is Aronson,
who Kaufman counts as a friend and
mentor.
"There is a sense around the country
that it will be hard to take this job with the
legendary CEO still involved in the organi-
zation," Kaufman said. "Bob is a fantastic
mentor and a tour de force of leadership.
I'm so lucky. I look at it as a strength
— what better person to go to for advice
and to bounce ideas off of?"
Aronson said, "The reason I think Scott
is so good for the job is because he's a
truly creative young man. He has many
new ideas, which is important. A federa-
tion can get stale particularly when they
have had an exec for a while.
"Scott brings boundless enthusiasm
and energy. He will look under every rock
and see what can help this community
through difficult times. And he'll bring a
new sense of energy and commitment to a
new generation who really do enjoy work-
ing with him."
His sister agrees.
"Scott truly looks at the Detroit Jewish
community as his extended family and
holds it as near to him as he does his
immediate family:' she said.
"He is a gift to our community and we
are all stronger because of him. His pas-
sion for our community is contagious,
and many of my peers involved in the
Jewish community today look at Scott as
their mentor and the one who got them
hooked."
Kaufman also will be focusing on the
generation after his own, working to retain
young Detroiters who often take off after
college to find work in larger communities
with more professional opportunities.
But it's his mother who has the last
word on that migration.
"I'm so happy Scott is staying here and
we're not losing him to another communi-
ty," Sue Kaufman said. "He's a tremendous
asset, and I was fearful he would go some
place else. It's wonderful for Detroit and a
perfect fit. He loves it here."
❑
2010 Campaign To Portray Donors And Volunteers As Heroes
For the last two years, "No Family Stands Alone" has been Federation's Campaign message. Extremely successful in
bringing the community together during uncertain times, the theme informed members of the community that if they,
or someone they knew, were in need, Federation was there to help.
While the economic crisis continues and Federation remains focused on serving those in need, it will shift its 2010
Campaign message and marketing efforts to one that is much more "donor-centric." Expressing, "I am JewishDetroit. I
care. I help. I give," Federation ads will show how volunteers and donors to the Campaign impact the community.
"We derive our strength from all being in this together," said Scott Kaufman, Federation's new CEO. "Almost all of
the great achievements of the Jewish people have been collective endeavors, and that is how we will continue to be a
great community. That is what this Campaign message says to me when you say I am JewishDetroit."
Although the focus shifts away from the recipient and towards the donor or volunteer, it still indicates the needs
that exist within our community. It speaks directly to the donor or potential donor that their help is needed – and any
amount makes a difference.