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testimonial

Facing Our Future

Arthur Horwitz Publisher

Thank you for the many positive comments about my open letter to Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit President Nancy Grosfeld and our lay
leadership in the May 20 Cap & Gown issue of the Jewish News, challeng-
ing them to think and act boldly about our Jewish community's future.

With more than 300 smiling and hopeful faces of high school graduates
as a backdrop, the letter posed a basic question: Is Federation leadership
willing to bravely modify its priorities and allocation of dollars to make
our Jewish community a more vital, alluring and welcoming place for these
students, one they will want to return to (and bring their friends) when they
graduate?

"I have lived in Detroit for the
past 13 years. Staying in Michigan
has given me career opportuni-
ties not available in Chicago,
New York or even Washington,
D.C. Rather than serving as a
legislative director to a member of
Congress, I was able to serve citi-
zens of Southwest Detroit in the
Michigan House and to become
the House Majority Floor Leader.
I have started innovative non-
profit efforts to revitalize Detroit
and the region. As an urban and
creative enthusiast, I am in the
most dynamic place in the world
to impact change and social jus-
tice."

— Steve Tobocman,
Global Detroit

With our Jewish population dropping, including an alarming absence of
20-somethings and 30-somethings, our future as a great Jewish community
has been in jeopardy for years.

Fred M. Butzel,

Isidore Sobeloff,

former Jewish

former executive

community leader

vice president

So, is there a way to remind our leadership every day to ask the following question before they make decisions: How will
this decision help reverse our decline and enhance our future as a great Jewish community?

Yes, there is.

I believe a physical work environment influences an organization's thinking, creativity, quality of decision-making and
effectiveness at implementation. The most impressive example of this I ever witnessed was a tour of the Hallmark headquar-
ters in Kansas City. Every aspect of the environment, from the color of walls, the design of furniture and furnishings and the
utilization of "white noise" to the always-evolving built-to-scale layouts of future Hallmark stores, was geared toward identi-
fying and maximizing future opportunities.

So, here is a modest and very inexpensive proposal for incorporating future thinking into the physical work environment at
the Federation building:

Every year, replace all of the portraits of Federation's past presidents, past campaign chairs, past executive vice
presidents and past presidents of the Junior Division and Young Adult Division that fill nearly every conference room
wall with the portraits of our graduating high school seniors.

In the very rooms where our Jewish community conducts most of its business, the portraits on the walls quietly shout out:
"Remember our glorious past." "Don't do anything that will jeopardize our legacy." "We're watching you." While we must be
informed by our past, and honor our former leadership, we cannot be blindly tied to it, consciously or subconsciously. Let's
find another place, and way, to display these leader portraits.

Having many of the 300 hopeful, fresh faces from our Cap & Gown issue, examples below, smiling at our community
leaders every day in their conference rooms will remind them that they are more than the trustees of our Jewish past. They
are making decisions — today — that determine what kind of a Jewish community we will leave for our children.

If Federation is willing to supply the walls, we'll supply the pictures.

Ryan Achtman

Hillary Dorman

Daniel Heinrich

Olivia Orley

Basil Williams

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In our mission to redirect the narrative of Southeastern Michigan, we have spearheaded a campaign geared towards young Jewish adults in our region.
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If you would like to submit any events, information or would like to be featured in our section, please contact Rachel Lachover at (248) 351-5156 or
rlachover@thejewishnews.com . JOIN US ON FACEBOOK; search our group name and fan page "SE MICHIGAN JEWISH ALLIANCE"

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