Metro

Support Basic Needs

Federation: Community benefits by a strong Annual Campaign.

I

t was a call to arms in a war for hope.
In a special combined Jewish Federation/United Jewish
Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit Board of Governors
meeting held at Akiva Hebrew Day School on Jan. 27, the com-
munity leadership came together to discuss the importance of
the Annual Campaign and what would happen to the commu-
nity if the results precipitously declined.
The meeting, which included rabbis and officers of the
Federation agencies, was intended to mobilize community
leadership to ensure the most successful achievement for
Federation's 2010 Annual Campaign.
"The strength and vitality of the Detroit Jewish community
is ultimately defined in the achievement of Federation's Annual
Campaign:' said Nancy Grosfeld, Federation president. "Despite
extraordinary Campaigns throughout our community's history,
reaching the necessary achievement level to meet the growing
community needs is significantly at risk."
Due to the economic conditions of the region, support of
Federation's 2009 Campaign decreased from donors at all levels.
However, Beverly Liss, Federation's 2009 Campaign co-chair
reported, "our 2009 achievement was a huge accomplishment
despite current economic circumstances in Michigan and
increasingly competitive fundraising environment."
Federation raised $37.9 million for its 2009 Campaign,
including $31.6 million for the Annual Campaign and $6.3 mil-
lion for the Stanley and Judy Frankel Challenge Fund.
Norm Keane, executive director of Jewish Family Service
of Metropolitan Detroit, spoke about the crushing amount of
needs his agency has seen in the past year.
"This year, we are giving out emergency financial assistance
dollars probably over $1 million. That's dollars that are princi-
pally going for basic needs for people he said. "That is despite
the fact that in our community we have Hebrew Free Loan, Yad
Ezra and the programs at Jewish Senior Life, Project Chessed. If
we didn't have those programs, the number we're talking about
would be out of sight."
Keane also cited 50 families on a waiting list for counseling
services.
Steve Freedman, Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit
headmaster, said the immediate impact of a cut in funding
would be several families' children would not be able to attend,
but the longer term impact would be "much more insidious."
"We are really challenged in North America in the 21st cen-
tury about what the Jewish community is going to look like
for our children when they become adults:' he said. "While we
have an immediate crisis, the real challenge is how to balance
the immediate crisis and what is our responsibility to plant the
seed of the future."
Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield
spoke about Evan and Emily Fischer, a brother and sister who
were orphaned when their widower father, Rob Fischer of West
Bloomfield, suddenly died in 2009 (their mother died in 2004).
"Non-Jewish neighbors, Christopher and Susie Tarnes, took
in the children and the Federation helped us to build out the
Tarnes' home to provide for a bedroom and bathroom for each
kid. And the teenagers of this community got together, and all
of the youth organizations got together, and raised $55,000 to

10 February 11 • 2010

Federation CEO Scott Kaufman

Federation President Nancy Grosfeld and Board of Governors
member Mandell Berman

Right from top to bottom:
• Board of Governors member Brad Urdan signs Covenant.
• Annual Campaign co-chair Ron Klein
• Rabbi Paul Yedwab of Temple Israel

• Jewish Family Service Executive Director Norman Keane
• Board of Governors member Florine Mark