Special Report
COMING TOGETHER
Declaration from page 18
The Jewish declaration
is one more urgent call to
action. It starts with a mis-
sion "to sustain and grow
the Jewish community" and
the vision "to re-invigorate
the business, economic and
job-creating climate...
especially for those in
their 20s, 30s, and 40s
so they will want to stay,
return or relocate here to live
and raise their families."
What follows is a snapshot
of what the future looks like
through the eyes of the young
leaders who participated in
the drafting of the document;
a region where the Jewish com-
munity is strong and diverse, close-knit
and friendly, a fertile environment for
business and entrepreneurs, and a place
where there are world-class educational,
cultural and recreational opportunities.
The declaration concludes with a pledge
to take action and lists several
things people can do to get
involved: become an active
s uggested
leader, support job creation
efforts, collaborate with oth-
ers, develop new relationships
and hold community leaders
accountable.
"I hope this declaration will
raise awareness that some-
thing must change and
that for good change
to happen we need the sup-
port of the entire community,'
said Daniel Cherrin, 37, of
Huntington Woods.
The husband and father
of three is an attorney and
marketing director, who
also served as Detroit's com-
munications director and press
secretary during Ken Cockrel Jr.'s interim
term as mayor (following the infamous
text message scandal and resignation of
former Detroit mayor Kwame Kilpatrick).
"I want people to feel empowered
to embrace these principles and get
involved," Cherrin continued. "We need
everyone's involvement if we are to bring
positive change to the region."
"I know from my
conversations that many
people would love to move
back here if they could
find a job."
- Rabbi Joseph H. Krakoff
cc–,
i
in meetings
with Gov. Granholm that
Michigan declare a 2010
Michigan Homestead Act.'
Perhaps the Jewish
community could do
something similar."
- Rabbi Paul Yedwab
Spreading The Word
Now that ifs all down on paper, the next
order of business is spreading the word.
In recent weeks, the declaration has been
shared with a number of community,
business and political leaders, including
members of the local clergy. Rabbis Joseph
H. Krakoff of Congregation Shaarey Zedek
of Oakland County, Paul Yedwab of Temple
Israel in West Bloomfield, Rabbi Dannel
20
September 2 • 2010
Schwartz of Temple Shir Shalom in West
Bloomfield, Rabbi Aaron Bergman of Adat
Shalom Synagogue, Farmington Hills,
Rabbi Robert Gamer of Congregation Beth
Shalom, Oak Park, Rabbi Elliot Pachter of
Congregation B'nai Moshe, West Bloomfield,
Rabbi Daniel Syme of Temple Beth El
in Bloomfield Township, Rabbi Steven
Rubenstein of Congregation Beth Ahm in
West Bloomfield and Rabbi Levi Shemtov
of the Friendship Circle in West Bloomfield
have all seen it and embrace its message.
"I think it's a very good start — it is
a definite move in the right direction:'
Rabbi Krakoff said. "At this point, none
of us can afford to sit back and wait for
someone else to take a leadership role. All
of us who care deeply about our home
must step forward."
Krakoff, who grew up elsewhere, moved
to Southfield more than a decade ago. He
and his wife, Susan, have raised their
three children here. He says close
to 70 percent of the couples
he marries move out of town.
Krakoff recently traveled to New
York and met with a several
young professionals to encourage
them to move back to Detroit.
He and his wife are also trying
to help one young family
relocate by circulating the
husband's resume and
working to help him find a job.
"I know from my conversations
that many people would love to
move back here if they could find
a job," Krakoff said. `As more and
more jobs become available, I'm
hopeful we will be successful in
bringing people back."
Rabbi Yedwab believes it's impor-
tant to join forces with Federation in this
endeavor and agrees jobs and economic
inducements should be the focus.
"I've suggested in meetings with Gov.
Granholm that Michigan declare a
`2010 Michigan Homestead Act;
offering land, homes and retail
or industrial space that has been
turned over to the state to anyone
that will improve it over a five-
year period," Yedwab explained.
"Perhaps the Jewish community
could do something similar.
We have space available,
either in our own build-
ings or in the buildings of our
philanthropists."
Members of the group, joined
by a representative of the Ann
Arbor Jewish community
recently met with Mike Finney,
CEO of Ann Arbor Spark, a
group that helps attract and grow
new businesses, to learn more about
what they do and how to bridge Ann Arbor
with the rest of the community. There's
also been talk of holding a community-
wide "town meeting" to get additional
feedback. Efforts are currently underway
to get more people to sign on and become
endorsers of the declaration.
"We are using it to cultivate new rela-
tionships, build support for our vision and
work together to make our community
stronger;' Cherrin said.
"Let's hope this declaration and the
efforts around it can help rally our com-
munity," added Horwitz. "Let's use it to
take strong and purposeful steps to slow
or reverse this downward spiral."
❑
JN Columnist Robin Schwartz, along with
her husband, Jon Goldstein, is a signer of the
Southeastern Michigan Jewish Declaration.
"I want people to feel
empowered to embrace
these principles and get
involved. We need
everyone's involve-
ment if we are to bring
positive change to the
region."
- Daniel Cherrin
Join The
Effort!
You can read and endorse the
Southeastern Michigan Jewish
Declaration on the Detroit Jewish
News website:
thejewishnews.com/declaration.
See a related column by Publisher
Arthur Horwitz on page 5.