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ously been awarded to only one man —
Bob Hope.
The Fisher House Foundation gener-
ously underwrites the construction and
furnishing of each home. Each facil-
ity is then gifted to the Department
of Veterans Affairs, which oversees its
operations, supported in part by endow-
ments reliant on donations from the
public and organizations.

LOCAL SUPPORT

One group that is helping lead fundrais-
ing efforts to make the Fisher Houses a
reality in Detroit is Motor City Veteran’s
Village (MCVV), a nonprofit charity
that, according to its president, retired
Jewish War Veteran Brig. Gen. Donald
Schenk, “is focused on improving
access, quality of life and education for
veterans and their families in Southeast
Michigan.
“After 30-plus years protecting
America’s freedom, and another almost
decade and a half protecting those who
protect our freedom, it seemed natural
to do what I could for those who have
come before and since by protecting
and supporting the rights and benefits
of veterans and their families,” Schenk
says.
Motor City Veteran’s Village’s ties to
Fisher House Michigan will go a long
way to filling a critical void in the exist-
ing Veterans Affairs Medical Center
locally because “a family’s love is good
medicine,” according to the Fisher
House Foundation.
Detroit’s local Jewish community has
already had a profound impact on our
state’s Fisher House plans.

In 2016, Detroit philanthropists
Mandell “Bill” Berman, a WWII Navy
veteran, and his wife, Madeleine, both of
blessed memory, were the first to con-
tribute to the future Fisher House devel-
opment through the Mandell L. and
Madeleine H. Berman Foundation. The
foundation continues to make annual
donations.
“The Berman name is synonymous
with compassion, generosity and leader-
ship,” Schenk says. “Bill and Madeleine
were true patriots whose legacy of giv-
ing will benefit our service men and
women for years to come.”
Last year, the dedicated posts that
comprise the Jewish War Veterans
(JWV) Department of Michigan also
made contributions to the MCVV’s
Fisher House initiative. A fundraising
drive in November was spearheaded by
Army Sgt. Marty Levine, a Viet Nam-era
veteran, who, like Schenk, is a member
of JWV’s Zussman Post 135 and a MCVV
board member.
Schenk used the occasion of being a
guest speaker at a JWV post meeting
at Temple Shir Shalom last November
to present members of the JWV and
the Women’s Auxiliary certificates of
appreciation for their efforts on behalf
of Motor City Veteran’s Village.
I attended that meeting and had the
privilege of hearing Schenk share sto-
ries of his distinguished military career.
However, it was only during a private
conversation with him after his remarks
that I learned that Donald Schenk was a
convert to Judaism, a memorable jour-
ney, details of which are highlighted in
the sidebar below.

Jewish War Veteran members Marc Manson, JWV Memorial Home; Larry Berry, Commander, JWV Department
of Michigan; and Linda Zyla, JWV Lt. Raymond Zussman Auxiliary #333, hold letters of appreciation from
Motor City Veteran’s Village signed by its president and JWV member Ret. Brig. Gen. Donald Schenk (in striped
shirt).

FISHER HOUSE ANN ARBOR

Ann Arbor attorney Harvey Berman’s
affiliation with Fisher House began
when he attended a program honoring
veterans at University of Michigan’s Hill
Auditorium in 2015, where he learned
about plans to build the first Fisher
House in Michigan. “The inspiring sto-
ries of the veterans were moving and
brought tears to my eyes and many oth-
ers in attendance,” he says.
The son of Holocaust survivors,
Berman says his involvement in Fisher
House Michigan has provided an outlet
to express what has been his lifelong
“gratitude to our soldiers for having lib-
erated the camps.”
He shared with me the powerful
image of how his father was discovered
in Buchenwald. “When liberated by the
Americans, my father was found in a
pile of emaciated bodies, many of whom
were deceased. An American soldier saw
a little spark of movement in him, of life.

Three months later, he opened his eyes
in a hospital.”
Soon after the 2015 Hill Auditorium
event, Berman and his law firm,
Bodman PLC, agreed to provide services
pro bono to help create the nonprofit
Build It for the Brave. It later became
known as Fisher House Michigan when
the project was officially approved for
Ann Arbor. Berman’s early involvement
led him to accepting a seat on FHM’s
first board.
“Everyone at FHM respects our vet-
erans so much for what they do to keep
us free,” Berman says. “It really is a very
powerful feeling within our organiza-
tion.” •

To donate and learn more about Fisher House
Michigan and the Motor City Veteran’s Village
(MCVV), visit fisherhousemichigan.org and
motorcityveteransvillage.org. To earmark a donation
for the Detroit location, make your check payable to
Motor City Veteran’s Village, 500 Temple St., Detroit,
MI 48201. Add a note on the memo line designating
the contribution for Fisher House Detroit.

Dedicated To Serving Fellow Veterans

D

Alan Muskovitz

Contributing Writer

28

on Schenk was born and
raised in Baltimore, Md. He
grew up in what he described
as a “non-observant Protestant house-
hold” and, while in high school, had
every intention of becoming a teacher.
Today, at 68, he is a convert to Judaism
and a retired, highly decorated Army
brigadier general. His faith and career
paths began evolving in high school.
Schenk was enrolled in an inten-
sive college preparatory curriculum
at a Baltimore magnet school where,
he said, “most of my peers were
Jewish and those peers became my
friends.” He completed his bachelor’s
degree at Western Maryland College
in Westminster, Md., with the help of
an Army ROTC scholarship, and was
commissioned a Second Lieutenant in
Armor (tank corps) in 1971. He was later
educated at several military schools and
earned a master’s degree in manage-

April 26 • 2018

jn

Tikvah, participating in family
ment from Central Michigan
and adult learning and worship
University.
in preparation for our sons’
It was his first four assign-
bar mitzvahs, made me realize
ments at Ford Hood, Texas,
that conversion was the logical
in the early 1970s that would
culmination of experiences first
change the trajectory of his
encountered in high school.”
service from a “job” to a mili-
Today the couple are mem-
tary profession. “I had begun
Brig. Gen. Donald
bers of Congregation Shaarey
to mature and find my place
Schenk
Zedek in Southfield.
in the tank battalion to which
Schenk has held assign-
I was assigned, and I real-
ments during peace and war, including
ized I must be getting the toughest jobs
direct combat operations in Iraq. Before
normally held by more senior officers
he retired in 2004 after 35 years of
because I could get them done. The
service, equally balanced between the
impact of making a difference meant a
operational Army and the procurement/
lot. Believing I could make a bigger dif-
program management business of
ference in the lives of soldiers, our Army
the Army, he would be the recipient
and the nation meant even more.”
of numerous decorations including a
He attributes his “real introduction to
Judaism” to his wife, Janet (Greenspan), Distinguished Service Medal, Legion
of Merit and the Bronze Star, to name
of 28 years and their decision to raise
a few.
their children in a Jewish household.
He exhibits the same leadership skills
“Taking our boys to Congregation Shir

and passion for serving others in his
civilian life that he did during his dis-
tinguished military career, and focuses
his efforts on protecting those who
protect our freedom. He joined General
Dynamics in 2009, where over the
course of eight years he served in a vari-
ety of roles both in Michigan and Israel,
including vice president of Israel Defense
Forces programs. Schenk lived in Israel
from 2012-2014, which he described as
“a major personal life experience while
representing my company to the Israeli
government and private industry.”
As a life member of the Jewish War
Veterans, he has become active in the
Department of Michigan as well as 1st
Lt. Raymond Zussman Post 135. He
continues to work tirelessly on behalf
of his fellow veterans and the Jewish
community, including his work as
president of the nonprofit Motor City
Veteran’s Village. •