oints of view >> Send letters to: letters®thejewishnews.com Editorial The D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building of the JCC in West Bloomfield --- The Jimmy Prentis Morris Building of the JCC in Oak Park Multitude Of Voices Key To Sustaining JCC W ith the Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit's Oak Park facility closing by Aug. 31 to fight a lingering budget deficit — barring an unanticipated new source of revenue — the burden falls squarely to Federation and JCC leaders to build a 21st-century JCC model that better serves the neighborhoods now using both JCC campuses. In developing such an important new model, our communal leadership must assure the voice of a grassroots coalition of Oak Park JCC supporters continues to be heard during all facets of the transition. That's the noblest way to garner com- munity support for any ultimate repur- posing of the JCC's Jimmy Prentis Morris Building, affectionately dubbed JPM. The building is located on the A. Alfred Taubman Jewish Community Campus on 10 Mile Road, east of Greenfield. The Committee to Save the Oak Park Jewish Community Center has worked too hard to help identify alternative sources of funding and help generate young-adult membership scholarships to be cast aside with just a "thank you for trying" amid the glare of a JCC overall annual operating deficit of about $1.2 million, of which JCC leadership and Federation attribute nearly $1 million to JPM. Against this backdrop, Federation has pledged to evaluate the survey the com- mittee is taking to capture how the com- munity envisions the next-generation JPM. Federation also has pledged to involve the committee in reviewing repurposing proposals. The intent of the Request for Proposals (RFPs) is to "main- tain an inclusive community facility that continues to serve the Jewish population in the area with programming by the JCC and other Jewish communal organiza- 38 March 26 • 2015 J14 What long has made Jewish Detroit so great is our effectiveness in rallying around causes and challenges we buy into collectively. tions." These Federation pledges are pivotal to assuaging Save the Oak Park JCC commit- tee concerns about Federation and JCC leaders not inviting open feedback before announcing plans to close JPM. What long has made Jewish Detroit so great is our effectiveness in rallying around causes and challenges we buy into collectively. A Ready Foundation The boards of the JCC, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit and Federation's banking/real estate arm, United Jewish Foundation (UJF), made the tough deci- sion in early March to close JPM and seek formal RFPs. Repurposing would have a stronger chance of acceptance if its infrastructure included Jewish access to the pool, gym, kosher restaurant and classrooms at JPM. Equally important is continuation and expansion of Jewish programming and services for the sur- rounding neighborhoods, both at JPM and elsewhere. Grassroots efforts to save the Oak Park JCC have their roots in more than 725 supporters who turned out for two com- munity forums on wintry evenings to hear JCC and Federation plans to address the budget shortfall. Time will tell, of course, how much money the Save the Oak Park JCC mobilization will raise toward that shortfall. The committee, 200 strong by the esti- mates of its leader Ron Aronson, truly believes JPM anchors their significant slice of Jewish Detroit so should stay open in some capacity as a JCC. Tapping into that energy bank of support will make the clos- ing and repurposing more palpable and, over the long haul, more productive. Under repurposing, some Jewish pro- gramming and services now situated at JPM may be paired at a different loca- tion with new Jewish offerings. But that shouldn't preclude plenty of Jewish spice, attractive to all streams of Judaism, from wafting through JPM corridors, whoever is managing the building. Aronson punctuated his group's hope when he told communal leaders, as quot- ed in the JN: "In these seven weeks, we have given voice to our community and, one way or another, we want that voice to be heard:' For their part, Federation and JCC leaders issued a community statement acknowledging "the emotional impact of the proposed changes" and vowing to continue serving "the many diverse Jews in the area:' Not ignoring the nearly $200,000 annual deficit at the JCC's Kahn Building in West Bloomfield, Federation and JCC leaders pledge to seek "more efficiency" to erase it and theoretically balance the budget. Such a balance has been painfully elusive, how- ever: Over the past two years, Federation and UJF have poured $4.3 million in emergency grants to the JCC; that was in addition to Federation's Annual Campaign allocation of $1.5 million. Peering Ahead Whatever confluence of economic events triggered the JCC budget crisis, it's evi- dent increased operating efficiencies, a tightened leadership structure, stricter oversight governance and an engaging, enterprising, finance-minded new execu- tive director certainly are necessary. It's also crucial that Federation and JCC leaders derive from ongoing discus- sions with the Committee to Save the Oak Park JCC, as well as others, a novel JCC model that reimagines not just JPM, but also the Kahn Building. Such a paradigm would have a bricks-and-mortar "com- munity center" component, but together we also must think outside the margins to discover aspects that are more daring yet practical to engage even more Jews. Such a vision won't just parade through our communal door. It'll take thought, innovation and commitment — the kind of communal hurdle we as one of America's great Jewish communities are positioned and well prepared for. The process toward building an improved JCC model will only yield a dynamic result for both a repurposed JPM and a reimagined Kahn Building if Federation and JCC leaders remain open, transparent and proactive in seeking upfront participation from constituents who care about the future of the build- ings and the JCC. To this end, constituent input must be sought and encouraged as part of JCC "futuring" conversations — not after decisions already have been made. ❑