Publisher's Notebook
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Framing Detroit Priorities
D
an Senor, co-author of Start-Up Nation: The Story
of Israel's Economic Miracle, drew an audience of
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit Annual
Campaign supporters on March 17 to learn how Israel trans-
formed itself from a socialism-embracing, dance-around-the-
kibbutz campfire country into a world-beating powerhouse of
capitalism.
Focusing on Israel's unique blend
of ambitious immigrants, military
training, tours of annual reserve duty
and willingness to challenge decisions
by superiors, Senor and co-author
Saul Singer help to explain how the
Jewish state now possesses the world's
highest concentration of innovation
and entrepreneurship. One example is
quite revealing; Israel has more com-
panies listed on NASDAQ than all of
Europe, China, India, Korea and Japan
combined.
The Needs Here
Israel still has challenges — first and foremost its right and
legitimacy to exist and live in peace among the nations of the
world. Israel's array of social and religious issues persists. And it
remains a focal point for Jewish identity in the diaspora. While
Detroit and its Jewish community have been, and will continue
to be, on the frontlines of defending
and supporting Israel, the findings
in Senor's book beg an answer by
our community leadership to the
question posed by my colleague
Robert Sklar in his Editor's Letter of
March 11: Given Israel's economic
expansion and Detroit's economic
contraction, should our Federation
consider keeping even more Israel
UM SOME SUL SEM
and overseas dollars home, at least
until our home-turf needs subside?
In the late 1940s and 1950s, char-
itable dollars raised from North American Jewish communi-
ties were critical for Israel's survival. Detroit's Max Fisher was
instrumental in envisioning, creating and leading the Jewish
Agency for Israel (JAFI), a quasi-governmental partnership
between Israel and diaspora Jews that channeled many of
those dollars toward aliyah and immigrant absorption.
Today, the estimated $110 million that North American
Jewish communities will collectively send to JAFI in 2010 is
so small, it is a rounding error in Israel's overall economy.
And while Detroit constitutes perhaps 1.3 percent of the
North American Jewish population, a highly disproportion-
ate number of dollars that JAFI receives comes from our
impressive local annual Federation campaign.
In recent years, our Federation has done an effective job
repositioning the Annual Campaign, playing up that our
gifts help assure that No Family Stands Alone in Detroit in
the face of a deep economic downturn. But in Detroit, there
are two important questions that we need to ask: Can we
stabilize, re-imagine and more fully and deeply invest in our
local Jewish community by keeping more of our charitable
dollars right here? And if so, can the philanthropic pillars of
our community embrace this?
WIN
lamesftWpWohabi
"With a brave, bold and
strategic realignment of
allocation priorities, we do
have the financial capacity to
expand our local social safety
net, invest in the future of our
children and assure that our
Jewish community is always
there for Israel."
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65% off
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Securing Our Investment
The announcement last month by JAFI Chair Natan
Sharansky that his agency's traditional mission of promot-
ing emigration to Israel has outlived its usefulness is strik-
ing in its candor. His intent to focus on strengthening Jewish
identity and "peoplehood" outside of Israel (including North
America) with his budget is refreshing.
Senor's book underscores Israel's economic strength
and prowess. Sharansky's announcement underscores how
important a viable Jewish presence in the diaspora (and
Detroit) is to Israel. Yes, we need to continue to try and raise
more dollars for our Federation's Annual Campaign to meet
local and overseas needs. And, our leaders need to under-
stand that with a brave, bold and strategic realignment of
allocation priorities, we do have the financial capacity to
expand our local social safety net, invest in the future of our
children and assure that the Jewish community of Detroit
and Southeastern Michigan is always there for Israel.
The clock is ticking.
Odds And Ends:
Get well wishes to Martin Kraar, the former Detroit Jewish
Federation executive vice president, who is battling pancre-
atic cancer ... Congratulations to Bill Taubman, who recently
became chair of New Detroit, the entity formed by Max Fisher
and others in the aftermath of the 1967 Detroit disturbances
to rebuild bridges of understanding and cooperation between
the African American and white communities ... I recently
found and reread a 1988 survey by Scarborough Research of
Jewish News subscribers. When asked what the most pressing
issues were for our Jewish community, "Caring for an Aging
Population" and "Helping Young Jews Identify with the Jewish
Community" received the most responses. A generation later,
they are still the most pressing issues and ripe for more
Federation campaign dollars. ❑
Plus No Interest til
2012, ND up to a
51 ,5 00 Tax Credit--
1-866-341-4668
HANSONS
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April 1 • 2010
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