Metro

Michigan

World Trade Center, 2001

Miracle

•

Jewish News offices burn, 2002

Mission Ill,

1998

I'm moving from JN editor to contributor, but my passion for Jewish Detroit remains.

M

ness. In part, he wrote: "The Jewish News
y destiny as editor of the Jewish
pledges itself to serve as the organ for the
News was chiseled into the
good of the Jewish communities of Detroit
bedrock of the Detroit Jewish
and Michigan, and for our sister commu-
community long before the opportunity
nities throughout the land:'
actually arose. My love for Judaism and
The platform added, "The Jewish News
journalism intensified and were on paral-
dedicates itself to the cause of alleviating
lel tracks from the time I was in junior
suffering among the oppressed Jewish
high. It took another 34 years before those
masses in lands of slavery and bigotry;
tracks merged in 1998 at the doorstep of
and to that end, we pledge ourselves to do
JN Publisher Arthur M. Horwitz, to whom
everything possible to enlighten our peo-
I am very grateful.
ple on the various needs making claims
As I step down as editor this week and
upon us — be they in the fields of relief,
retire from the JN after 13 eventful years,
of Palestine's reconstruction or the defense
I take stock in what I set out to achieve:
of our rights everywhere
to chronicle and elevate Jewish Detroit,
Slomovitz left the Detroit Jewish
and to make myself more knowledgeable
Chronicle to create a forum to share his
about, and appreciative of, what it means
vision for Jewish life in America and a
to be a Jew. I'm turning over the reins to
Jewish state in Palestine following the
my colleague, Alan Hitsky, a JN veteran
ravages of World War II. With the help of
of 36 years, who becomes interim edi-
backers who provided the capital, he pub-
tor under Publisher Arthur Horwitz and
Chief Operating Officer F. Kevin Browett.
lished his first edition of the IN on March
27, 1942. Six years later, the outspoken
The editors' team will continue to include
Zionist rallied Detroit
Story Development
Jews around the cre-
Editor Keri Guten
ation of the State of
Cohen, Arts Editor Gail
This is the day,
Israel. I have never
Its whispering new beginnings.
Zimmerman, Senior
The sun shining over us,
wavered from the zeal
Copy Editor David
As we journey on our way.
for the Jewish home-
Sachs and Red Thread
land that he espoused
— songwriter Debbie Friedman
Editor Bryan Gottlieb,
for decades until his
professionals all.
death in 1993 at age 96.
The next leg of my
I also am vigilant of his commitment to
life journey will include devoting more
time to my family. My wife, Beth, has been the American way of life and its bounty of
not only freedoms, but also responsibilities
a source of encouragement throughout
to make the world a better place. He helped
the 38 years I've spent in community
found Metro Detroit-based JARC, a national
newspapers. The 25 years I spent with the
Metro Detroit-based Observer & Eccentric model for serving people with developmen-
Newspapers gave me the professional
tal disabilities, and helped make the Jewish
National Fund and the Zionist Organization
grounding to join the JN with all my jour-
of America resonate here.
nalistic cylinders humming.

Driving Influence
I don't take lightly the 1942 platform of
the JN as set forth by the impassioned
founding publisher and editor, Philip
Slomovitz, at the height of Hitler's mad-

16

March 3

2011

iN

Detroit Roots
My family has been part of the fabric of
Detroit Jewry since the 1890s; my grand-
father Jacob Sklar, a founder of the Taylor
Street Shul, was an early leader of the

Detroit religious community.
I grew up in Detroit, graduated
from Henry Ford High School
and never strayed too far north of
Eight Mile. I earnestly want our
Jewish community, though down
to maybe 65,000 Jews, to regroup
and thrive so it can tackle with
gusto such urgent pillar issues as
eldercare, social services, Jewish
learning, synagogue renewal and
assuring philanthropy from one
generation to the next.
The Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit is the biggest stakeholder in this
daunting challenge. We as a community
not only must hold Federation account-
able to keep us on task, but also support it.
This investment will make us more apt to
care about our collective future.
Diversity is a plus; but balancing the
beliefs and nuances of our various reli-
gious streams has been my toughest
hurdle as IN editor. Much like synagogues
throughout Detroit history have done, the
JN has changed and adapted as its audi-
ence has evolved. We always care about
what you, our readers and advertisers,
have had to say.
As a community, we have great poten-
tial, especially if we can keep and bring
back more of our young people (career-
worthy jobs being their No. 1 demand) —
and better promote what a heimish, family
community ours is. We're also a darn
interesting community.

Israel, 0 Israel
The JN has sought to mirror our com-
munity through coverage that educates,
informs, entertains, inspires, rouses, pro-
vokes and compels — and stands with
Israel, if not always its politics. Israel is
the epicenter of all that Judaism stands
for and represents. It's a miracle Israel's
democratic principles and practices have
stood the test of time amid repeated Arab

attempts to destroy the Jewish
state. But it's also a tribute to the
Jewish people's will to survive.
In 1967, Philip Slomovitz
reflected on the first 25 years of
the JN. He recounted the paper's
role as a watchdog, proponent
and fundraising force for Israeli
statehood.
"It has been our privilege
he wrote in an editorial view,
"to be living witnesses of, and
participants in, the historic task
of facilitating the treks toward liberty by
escapees from persecutions and of seeing
the emergence of a proud people, which
defies further threats to its existence'
For my part, I'm troubled so many Jews
in the diaspora are either uninformed
or unconcerned about the fate of their
ancestral homeland against the backdrop
of recurring terrorism and rising anti-
Semitism. Along with the Torah, Israel
binds Jews like nothing else.
No matter where our secular lives take
us in the rhythm of the week, what experi-
ences we encounter, or whether we affiliate
with a particular branch of Judaism or
are even observant, there's a constant in
our lives every Thursday that calls to our
Judaism, affirms our untapped vitality and
stirs our collective soul — and that's the
Detroit Jewish News.
I have been honored to toil humbly
in Philip Slomovitz's long shadows and
blessed to be an independent voice for
Detroit's Jewish future ...
... and so the journey continues.
Shabbat shalom! Li

Editor's note: Robert Sklar leaves his full-
time duties at the Jewish News on March
4, but will remain part of the JN family as
contributing editor, handling opinion pages
and special assignments. He will be hon-
ored at Shabbat services Friday, March 18,
at Temple Israel, West Bloomfield.