Afig -VNOcc JEWISH , <(, DAT/60,s 000‘) 1\1 ti frItiktfillitftlftitifivAtt#MAiti REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY, 2012-2013 2012-2013 Highlights tittgitato ,1‘0 ■ 1. JEWISH • Board of Directors organized; first meeting held in April of 2012 • Creation of six-minute video about the Foundation and the digitization project • ArcaSearch selected to preserve, digitize and make accessible more than 260,000 pages of Jewish News content dating to 1942; fully searchable archive on schedule for public access by end of 2013 • More than 325 attend presentation by National Yiddish Book Center Founder Aaron Lansky in October, to benefit the Foundation • • Nearly 650 people contributed and/or pledged to the Foundation and the digitization project Mike Smith, veteran archivist who has directed the activities of the Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University, including its Jewish communal holdings, retained as archival consultant A, .03-1;'0NDAT/0A i-vs , •v 29200 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 110 Southfield, MI 48034 248-354-6060 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jonathan Aaron Kari Alterman Pamela Applebaum Mark Bernstein Kevin Browett Daniel Cherrin Ben Falik Jonathan Frank Arthur Horwitz Lena Epstein Koretzky Matthew Lester Donald Lifton Martin Maddin Robin Schwartz Sarai Brachman Shoup HONORARY CHAIRS: Eugene Applebaum Mandell L. Berman The Hon. Avern Cohn Michael Steinhardt A. Alfred Taubman HONORARY BOARD: Peter Alter Robert Aronson Harlene Appelman Penny Blumenstein Eugene Driker Irwin Field Dr. Conrad Giles Dr. Lynda Giles Nancy Grosfeld Doreen Hermelin Larry Jackier Aaron Lansky Florine Mark Professor Deborah Dash Moore Robert Naftaly David Page Norman Pappas Dulcie Rosenfeld Mark Schlussel Alan E. Schwartz Jane Sherman Joel Tauber Mary Lou Simons Zieve To make a donation to the DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION go to the website www.thejewishnews.com and click on the word "donate" at the top right portion of the home page. 38 June 20 • 2013 A s smoke and flames engulfed the Southfield offices of the Jewish News that terrible day in January of 2002, I remember feelings of relief and despair. The relief stemmed from the fact that nobody was in the building at the time. The despair was triggered by the realization that the entire original archive of the Jewish News— every issue ever printed since 1942 and containing a deep history of our community and the tens of thousands of individuals who helped shape it — was in jeopardy of being destroyed. But the sturdy bookcases enveloping the original bound volumes sheltered most of them from irreplaceable damage. And an off-site set of microfilm assured that content from those volumes that didn't survive would still be accessible. The Detroit Jewish News Foundation, Inc., an independent 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization, was initially formed in 2011. But in many ways, its birth can be traced to the fire and the realization that the content of the Jewish News is a community asset for the ages. From birth and wedding announcements to obituaries, from the names of Detroit Jewish soldiers in uniform during World War II to the struggles to combat anti-Semitism to the creation of the state of Israel, this trove of information had been out of sight and woefully underutilized. Thanks to your interest, encouragement and financial support, the entire content of the Jewish News, more than 260,000 pages, is being preserved and digitized in an easy-to-search online format. The Foundation board, comprising many of the community's best young leaders and advised by an esteemed honorary board, is on track to have the data base and accompanying software tested, refined and ready for use by the end of 2013. But more needs to be done to assure that the information will be accessed and utilized to its fullest potential, and that the long-term vitality of the Foundation is secured. In addition to the development of an attractive and easy to use entry site for the digital archive, continuous updating of software applications and content (the community's newest history) is a must. The Foundation is also securing the services of an archivist, assuring content is accessed frequently and intelligently. And, the Foundation will convene forums, town hall-style gatherings and other assemblages to "bring to life" Jewish News content, making it relevant for current community leaders. If you made a charitable gift to the Detroit Jewish News Foundation, thank you! We are very appreciative of your continuing support in 2013. If you are considering an initial gift to the Foundation, please know that you will be helping to assure that our community history, and your family history, will always be available and easily accessible to you and future generations. To make a donation to the Foundation, go to the website www.thejewishnews.com and click on the word "donate" at the top right portion of the home page. On behalf of the entire board, thank you for continuing to assist us in preserving and bringing to your fingertips this community treasure. Appreciatively, Arthur Horwitz President JN FOUNDATION RETAINS ARCHIVIST M ichael Smith, a veteran archivist who has directed intimately acquainted with our Jewish community and its outsized the activities of the Walter P. Reuther Library impact on Detroit, the country and Israel." at Wayne State University, including its "I am extremely pleased to work with the Jewish communal holdings, has joined the Detroit Jewish Jewish News Foundation on this most exciting News Foundation as its archival consultant. and important project," Smith stated. "I have Smith will help guide the Foundation and its board of learned much over the years working with the directors in planning and structuring the 260,000-page Jewish community while reading the Jewish News. Jewish News archive, which dates to the publication's I admire the significant contributions that Jews founding in 1942 and will be fully digitized and available for have made to the history of Detroit and Michigan, public access before the end of 2013. and this project will leave a lasting legacy for the "We are pleased and honored to have someone of Mike's community. I am deeply honored to be able to caliber working with us to unlock, develop and enhance the Mic hael Smith contribute to its success." value of this treasure trove of information about our Detroit Smith has been associated with the Walter Jewish community and the thousands of people who helped to Reuther Library since 1985 and served as its director for nine years. shape it," Jewish News Foundation President Arthur Horwitz said. He was nominated in 2009 for the position of Archivist of the "While Mike is a nationally recognized expert whose knowledge United States and was the 2012 Leonard N. Simons History Award base straddles the digital and hard-copy archival worlds, he is winner from the Jewish Historical Society of Michigan.