metro
A Day to
Remember
Those Who Have
•
Fallen So Israel
•
May Continu
to Stand
Communal
Leadership
Project STaR alum Anya Abramzon to
be honored at JFS anniversary.
Roz Keith
Special to the Jewish News
Ann Arbor
T
YOM HAZIKARON
2013 111;T71
COMMUNITY-WIDE
MEMORIAL CEREMONY
SUNDAY, APRIL 14, 2013
4 IYAR 5773
5:30 P.M.
THE BERMAN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
6600 WEST MAPLE ROAD WEST BLOOMFIELD
We kindly ask that you be seated by 5:15 p.m.
in order to start promptly.
There is no charge for this commemoration.
For more information, contact Alicia at (248) 642-5617
or felhandler@jfmd.org
ru
t% Jewish Federation
OF METROPOLITAN DETROIT
Israel and
Overseas
AJC — Detroit • Akiva Hebrew Day School • AMEINU • American Jewish Committee • American Technion Society — Detroit
Chapter • BBYO • Bnei Akiva • Congregation Shaarey Zedek • Detroit Jewish News • Frankel Jewish Academy • Friends of
the IDF — Michigan Region • Clara & Arthur Gaba • Jill & Dr. Joseph Greenbaum • Hadassah • Nancy & Robert Heinrich
Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit • Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit • Jewish Community Relations
Council • Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit • JNF — Michigan Region • Sally & Dr. Richard Krugel • Michigan Board
of Rabbis • Ort America - Michigan Region • Johnny Pomodoro's • StandWithUs — Michigan • Andrea & David Trivax
Young Israel Council of Metropolitan Detroit • Zionist Organization of America
16 April 11 • 2013
he strength of Jewish communal
leadership in the Detroit/Ann
Arbor corridor and beyond is no
accident.
In 1989, Armand Lauffer, then pro-
fessor of social work at the University
of Michigan, and the late Marty Kraar,
then executive vice president of the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit (JFMD), jointly conceived of an
academic program intended to prepare
students for professional leadership roles
in Jewish communal service.
Their shared vision grew into what
is now an internationally acclaimed
program, aptly named the Jewish
Communal Leadership Program (JCLP)
under the auspices of the University of
Michigan School of Social Work.
Initially known as Project STaR (ser-
vice, training and research in Jewish
communal leadership), students earn
a graduate degree in social work and a
certificate from the University's Frankel
Center for Judaic Studies. The program
was renamed the Sol Drachler Program
in 1996, in honor of a highly respected
former JFMD executive.
Initially, seed money from the Wexner
Foundation led to a generous gift from
the Max M. Fisher Jewish Community
Foundation. Hundreds of local donors in
Detroit and Ann Arbor have continued
to support the program's development
over the years; the JFMD also provides
ongoing support for the program.
A Jewish Star
Detroit and Ann Arbor have benefit-
ted from Drachler graduates, including
Jeff Levin, former executive director
of Jewish Federation of Greater Ann
Arbor; Kari Alterman, regional direc-
tor, American Jewish Committee; Julie
Zuckerman Tepperman, director of
leadership development at the Detroit
Federation; and Anya Abramzon, execu-
tive director, Jewish Family Services of
Washtenaw County, who will be honored
for her leadership by JFS at its 20-year
anniversary "Contellation JFS," on
Sunday, April 21.
Abramzon came to Michigan as a
refugee from the former Soviet Union.
Anya Abramzon and Phyllis Herzig
at a JFS event in the 1990s
An activist in the "refusnik" movement
before emigrating, she played a leader-
ship role in creating services for the
Jewish elderly in St Petersburg.
"To those who knew Anya as a student
at Michigan:' Lauffer recalls, "it was clear
that her entrepreneurial imagination was
fueled by a deep commitment to Jewish
community and to serving the most vul-
nerable populations, regardless of ethnic-
ity and religion:'
Following an internship at JFS in Ann
Arbor, Abramzon became the agency's
first full-time employee. For the past
17 of its 20 years, she has served as its
executive director.
Levin, now chief development offi-
cer of the Jewish Federation of Greater
Miami, said he knew "Anya had an
unstoppable sense of the possible. It is
her passion, energy, focus and empower-
ing leadership style that has enabled the
agency to grow and thrive
Karla Goldman, Sol Drachler profes-
sor of social work and Judaic Studies,
and JCLP director, believes JFS serves
as an "important placement site for
JCLP interns, helping students think
about how to serve, lead and support the
Jewish community while being part of a
greater community:'
Abramzon said, "The success of JFS is
a result of an entire community coming
together. This is why we decided to call
our 20th anniversary event 'Constellation
JFS: The agency's universe is only made
complete with the contributions from its
partners; these shining stars allowed JFS
to become a comprehensive, internation-
ally accredited social service agency:'
JFS may have begun as a small agency
with very little support from private
donors, but a significant portion of its
budget now comes from individual