Editor's Letter jam www.jarc.org Getting Together Communally D istinctive bloodlines help distinguish one Jewish organization, synagogue or school from another. They give clarity and purpose to the various roles each plays in our communal universe. So I'm intrigued by the announce- ment that Congregation Shaarey Zedek of Oakland County will close its Beth Hayeled early childhood program and support the new early childhood center set to open this fall at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit. Hillel, a 500-student community day school with declining enrollment over the past decade, certainly needs to create Robert Sklar a more direct feeder pool for its K-8 Editor curriculum. Beth Hayeled also has experienced an enrollment decline, but still boasts more than 100 students. So Shaarey Zedek preschoolers can benefit from Hillel's vaster school resources although parents who prefer the smaller synagogue setting may be disappointed. The bigger question is the prudence of this joining together as part of a trend trajectory given Jewish Detroit's declining population and growing social service demands. I do think there's merit to what's happening. As a community, we need to think more strategically toward the reality of a smaller population, with all of the accompanying tough decisions and necessary collaborations. Federation's 2005 population study figure of 72,000 Jews in Metro Detroit already has declined; over the next 15 years, our population will drop to between 50,000 and 60,000. While our communal model isn't broken, it does require a tune-up. Cooperation ... it's a word that Jewish Detroit will be using more and more. It's part of a larger conversation we're already having about our shifting demographics and strained economy — and about sharing more resources. It's a con- versation that must remain at the center of our community dialogue. With increased demands and a shrinking contribution pool, the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit is in no position to meet every community need. Combining more resources would relieve some of the pressure on Federation's Annual Campaign. .. • ,, IL ' i A Ready Model We certainly have great examples of our coming together to take advantage of cost savings — and to provide more effective and beneficial services. Examples include ATID: The Alliance for Teens in Detroit, a Monday-night program developed by our Conservative synagogues and hosted by Hillel Day School; Jewish Senior Life of Metropolitan Detroit, a merger of Jewish Housing and Aging Services and Jewish Apartments and Services; and Frankel Jewish Academy's new home at the Jewish Community Center in West Bloomfield. Yeshiva Beth Yehudah found a place for two outreach pro- grams, Jean and Theodore Weiss Partners in Torah and Beth Yehudah Kollel, on its Southfield campus. Here's hoping the success of these collaborative programs is a precursor to the success of the new Hillel-SZ venture. In the case of the newest preschool, Hillel Day School cer- tainly ventured beyond its comfort level. While many of our community organizations hesitate in the face of changing demographics and cling to tried-but-old ways of doing things, Hillel last year decided to become a community day school, a daring decision in its own right given the 52-year-old school's long association with the Conservative movement. That the school board chose this year to open a preschool is refresh- ingly strategic and good for the future of a changing Detroit Jewish community. Looking Ahead In this context, I think it also is important to recognize Shaarey Zedek's strategic and visionary step regarding its Beth Hayeled preschool. In a community where the status quo is an attractive comfort and where turf can be zealously guarded, SZ's leader- ship made a tough, but wise decision to encourage its preschool families to enroll their children in the new preschool. By doing so, SZ has ensured that the children of its member families will have a high-quality preschool experience where all of Hillel's resources can be leveraged. The collaboration between these two educational pro- grams has all the earmarks of being a win-win: Hillel gaining students who come for preschool and stay for kindergarten and beyond, and the synagogue gaining and keeping congre- gants via a relationship with the SZ rabbis and staff who get involved with the new preschool. Hopefully, the decisions by Hillel and Shaarey Zedek will help lead the way toward a new, and necessary, era of coopera- tion between and among our communal entities. Classroom and meeting space thus can be maximized, whether the get- together is to support Israel, promote a humanitarian service, advocate for social justice or engage youth or adults in new learning or interactive experiences. Shared Resources On a higher plane, the ability to share facilities, supplies, staff — and the associated costs — can't be discounted. Plus, the sharing of ideas and energy should spark bountiful opportu- nities to grow together, individually or as a group. Consider the Max M. Fisher Federation Building in Bloomfield Township, home to several communal organiza- tions beyond the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. There are planning and synergistic advantages to having so many communal leaders under one roof; and Federation cer- tainly benefits by having a revenue stream from the leases. Passover, the most celebrated of all Jewish holidays, begins Monday night as families and friends gather around the seder table. The eight-day celebration is a good time to think about furthering our communal economies of scale. While a holiday of religious freedom, Passover also reminds Jews about the cultural rewards from getting together to embrace the heri- tage and the spirit of Judaism. Anything we as a Jewish community can do to bring Jews closer day to day via learning, service or social interactions, preferably at Jewish sites to increase their usage, the more efficient Jewish Detroit and its range of institutions and orga- nizations will be despite our falling numbers. 0 0 : What are your ideas for uniting • N Cr more of our communal resources? id I— Ca Z Z 0 0 13 Volunteering at JARC runs in the Shulman Family. Janis chairs JARC's Board Volunteer Committee and helps with fundraising and special projects. Her son Michael, a senior at U of M, has been volunteering since childhood. He still takes part in activities, and as a StarTrax MC helps get everyone out on the dance floor at many JARC parties. Janis and Michael agree, "We love JARC and all that it does for the people it serves." Whether as a volunteer or donor, your generous support will benefit the men, women and children JARC serves. Help JARC continue... 248.538.6611 jarc.org Are our communal leaders abreast of how best to combine services? - March 25 • 2010 5