www.DJNFoundation.org Keeping Jewish History Alive tOttithfAntAlitItAitIvAtt#116m010110fr 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 Lena Epstein Ben Falik Jonathan Frank Arthur Horwitz 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 Sol Drachler Eugene Driker Wayne Feinstein 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.djnfoundation.org * Of Blessed Memory REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY, 2014 Highlights • Obtained $2 million endowment gift from the William Davidson Foundation. In recognition, digital archive now known as the William Davidson Digital Archive of Detroit Jewish History; • • • • Welcomed more than 12,000 visitors accessing over 30,000 pages of Detroit Jewish News content following launch of archive Nov. 18, 2013; Created future technology committee, comprising some of the Detroit metropolitan area's brightest young minds, to guide the Board of Directors in its determination to expand the site's interactive and personal digital assistant (PDA) capabilities; • Initiated campaign to preserve and digitize the entire contents of the Detroit Jewish Chronicle (1914-1951); Secured long-time Walter P. Reuther Library/ Wayne State University archive director Michael Smith as its staff archivist; • Received cumulative financial support from almost 1,000 people, foundations and organizations spanning the Detroit Jewish community. Researched, designed and presented 20 customized books (in print and digital formats) about former and current Jewish Detroiters and their families; PRESIDENT'S LETTER I t's been quite a year for the Detroit Jewish News Foundation! Since launching the Detroit Jewish News digital archive on Nov. 18, 2013, more than 12,000 visitors have accessed over 30,000 pages of content. From pre-teens researching family trees in preparation for their bar/bat mitzvahs to historians seeking Jewish angles to the upcoming 50th anniversary of the 1967 Detroit civil disturbances, the archive's 270,000-plus pages tell the story of our community and the thousands of individuals and families who continue to shape it. The digital archive's breadth, depth, speed and search capabilities have been described as "amazing," "awesome," "staggering," "fantastic," "incredible," "astounding," "remarkable," "addictive" and "incredibly cool." Throw in a few holy cows, OMGs, a "blew me away" and an "I'm in heaven right now!!!!" and, well, you get the picture. And thanks to a $2 million gift by the William Davidson Foundation, core expenses associated with protecting, maintaining and enhancing the archive are covered. The WILLIAM DAVIDSON Foundation archive has been named The William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History in appreciation for the gift. So how do we make a good thing even better? Here's one way to do it We are currently securing the one-time funding needed to preserve and digitize the estimated 90,000-page archive of the largely forgotten Detroit Jewish Chronicle. Founded in 1914, the Detroit Jewish Chronicle published weekly until it ceased operations in mid-1951. We anticipate completing the Chronicle's digitization by mid-2015 and fully integrating it into the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History shortly thereafter. Imagine more than 100 consecutive years of easily searchable personal, family and community history at your fingertips! What else can you expect from us in 2015? With guidance from its technical advisory board, figronitle. .Veorts to Merge the Detroit Jewish News ruhib.h.,.. um. H•ader% I lb, Foundation will identify Unified Jewish „ „ Pap., July 20 ways to improve the overall user experience, including expanding the sites' interactive and personal digital assistant (PDA) capabilities. It will also look to leverage technology to develop beneficial relationships with other organizations 8 !°"6 1-" 1 ==.- i- ,.....tr — locally and globally — .,... --?...5.-, committed to educating and ..- = informing their constituencies about Detroit's Jewish community. Critical to our long-term impact and success is the development of a strategic plan that guides our transition from organizational infancy to adolescence. So much has been accomplished since the Foundation board held its inaugural meeting in 2012! The success of the Detroit Jewish News Foundation is attributable to the generous support of hundreds of individuals, families and foundations. There is a reason Detroit is one of America's great Jewish communities ... it recognizes that we are standing on the shoulders of the ones who came before us. We deeply appreciate your continuing confidence, trust and investment. CHRONICLE - Pia 1 mud to .- L. Jordan Irriholion Cause of Arob-Israeli Troubles ....11.=,. -C. Sincerely, Arthur Horwitz, President JN January 15 • 2015 15