jews d

on the co ver

in
the

Quiet
Q
uiet Leaders

Grosfelds’
commitment
and innovation
impact health
care and
the Jewish
community’s
future.

SHARI S. COHEN
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ABOVE: The Grosfelds live in
Bloomfield Hills. They have
two adult children and six
grandchildren.

N

ancy and James “Jim”
Grosfeld are leading
Jewish philanthropists
who give from “the heart and the
head” to help others. They clearly
respect each other’s favorite
causes but especially enjoy their
shared charitable initiatives.
In addition, Nancy, 73, a for-
mer social worker and nurse,
says she tends to approach
philanthropy more emotionally
and “hands-on” while Jim takes
a more cerebral perspective. She
focuses on Jewish organizations,
especially “vulnerable popula-
tions, Jewish education and com-
munity building.”
Nancy also loves animals and
is an active supporter of animal
rights. They have 14 pets, and
Nancy was Michigan Humane
Society president for 10 years.
Jim, 80, a lawyer, business
executive and former CEO of
PulteGroup Inc., concentrates
his philanthropy on hospitals,
medical research and academic
institutions. Together, they share
strong commitments to improv-
ing health care and helping the
Jewish community — not only
with current needs but to ensure
a better future.

IMPROVING MEDICAL CARE

expectations, they both say.
“They are finding new ways
One example of their forward-
of testing and we decided to
looking approach is Beaumont’s
increase our gift,” she says,
Nancy & James Grosfeld Cancer
creating the Nancy and James
Genetics Center, which investi-
gates the genetic basis for cancer Grosfeld Endowed Chair in
Cancer Genetics, which is held
and tests individuals for poten-
by Dana Zahalik, M.D. “We
tial cancer risk.
love her. She’s very bright, very
Nancy was diagnosed with
breast cancer in 2009 and treated dynamic,” Nancy says.
Zahalik describes how
at Beaumont Hospital.
this will help patients
Cancer had already
now and in the future.
touched her — nine of
“We are able to focus
the 13 children in her
on clinical research that
mother’s family died of
helps us to understand
cancer, as well as several
the genetic basis and
members of her father’s
mechanisms of cancer
family.
development in high-
“Beaumont was our
risk families. Our find-
neighborhood hospital, Dr. Dana Zahalik
ings help us to provide
and we wanted to do
optimal screenings and
something that was sup-
guide us to targeted prevention
portive of the hospital,” Jim says.
methods, especially in those with
The hospital provided several
breast, ovarian, pancreatic and
proposals and the Gosfelds liked
colon cancer,” she says.
the idea of supporting a cancer
Zahalik is corporate director
genetics center.
of the Grosfeld Cancer Genetics
“This would be proactive. It’s
Center and professor of medicine
so important to catch things
at Oakland University William
early,” Nancy explains. Since
Beaumont School of Medicine.
its establishment, the Cancer
Jim also contributes to
Genetics Center has helped
medical research at Stanford
many patients with genetic
University exploring the causes
analysis and has exceeded their

PHOTOS BY RUDY THOMAS

of depression. The Grosfelds
have also donated to Johns
Hopkins University to advance
pancreatic cancer research.
“I believe medical innovations
and discovery have contributed
to how we care for our citizens
and that is changing and will
change 50 years from now,” he
says. A graduate of Amherst
College, he endowed a professor-
ship there and supports scholar-
ships. Nancy is on the board of
the College for Creative Studies.

JEWISH COMMUNITY SUPPORT

But it is the Jewish community,
here and nationally, that has
inspired their strongest volun-
teer and philanthropic support.
Jim has been a member of the
national committee of the Anti-
Defamation League. Nancy has
served on the boards of JARC,
Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy
Network, the Jewish Fund and
the American Joint Distribution
Committee, among others.
Urged by friends, she became
involved in the Women’s Division
of the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit (JFMD),
eventually becoming campaign

continued on page 12

10

August 10 • 2017

jn