26 January 10 • 2019
jn

Mission Completed

Defense industry trade missions a win-win for Michigan and Israel.
M

ichigan and Israel defense 
companies are reaping 
the benefit of the passion 
of Butzel Long attorney and 
shareholder Beth S. Gotthelf, who 
spearheaded the first-ever trade 
mission of Israeli defense companies 
to a state and led to the first-ever 
trade mission by a state of defense 
companies to Israel this month. 
Recently, Butzel Long participated 
in the five-day trade mission to 
Israel coordinated by the Michigan 
Israel Business Accelerator 
(MIBA), the Michigan Economic 
Development Corporation (MEDC), 
MEDC Defense Center and Macomb 
County. The mission was in 
cooperation with the State of Israel 
Minister of Defense and SIBAT 
International Defense Cooperation 
(SIBAT). 
The goal was to expand export 
opportunities, meet with potential 
buyers and promote Michigan’
s 
leadership role in the defense sector. 
The Right Place, a regional nonprofit 
economic development organization, 
based in Grand Rapids, also 
participated. 
“The recent trade mission to 
Israel was extremely valuable in 
establishing relationships with 
potential partner companies in Israel 
and also creating new Michigan 
relationships,” said Jim Kendall, 
president and CEO of Cignys in 
Saginaw. “Two new connections 
could quickly result in new business, 
which, from a timing standpoint, 
certainly exceeded my expectations 
of the mission.” 
Vicky Rad, deputy director of 
Macomb County Planning and 
Economic Development, said, 
“There are vast opportunities for 
Michigan to partner with Israeli 
defense businesses. This trade 
mission has helped us educate them 
on the defense assets we have here 
in Macomb County and throughout 
our state.”
SIBAT wanted Michigan to be 
the first state it hosted in Israel for 
a defense mission, said Gotthelf, 
director of innovation and external 

relations and chair of Butzel 
Long’
s Aerospace and Defense 
Industry Team and a MIBA board 
member. “The mission to Israel 
just concluded with more business 
opportunities for both Michigan and 
Israel companies.”
According to Gene Sorgi, 
president of Challenger 
Communications LLC in Albion, 
and Jill Reschke, Challenger’
s 
director of sales and marketing, the 
opportunity to meet with the right 
people at the largest Israeli defense 
companies to discuss providing 
satellite antennas, support and 
replacement parts is invaluable.
“The opportunity to travel to 
Israel with the Michigan delegation 
was a great opportunity for RAMI,” 
said Robert Payne, general manager 
of RAMI in Grand Haven. “The 
ability to meet with leaders at 
SIBAT and leading Israeli defense 
companies will be invaluable as 
RAMI looks to further expand 
into the Israeli and international 
markets.” 
Meanwhile, Gotthelf said that 
SIBAT has had trade missions 
in the past, but only with other 
countries. Her vision was for a 
trade mission to Michigan. She 
approached SIBAT, which, at first, 
had no interest. Working with the 
MEDC, the Defense Center and 

Macomb County, she spent 18 
months, including two visits to 
Israel, convincing, then planning 
and hosting the 2017 trade mission 
to Michigan. At the time, Gotthelf 
also served as the president of the 
Michigan Israel Business Bridge 
(MIBB) — now the Michigan Israel 
Business Accelerator (MIBA). 
The 2017 trade mission to 
Michigan was successful in netting 
business opportunities; it garnered 
key attention to Michigan as a major 
defense center. 
“The Michigan Israel conference 
was a success,” said Amira Ilany, 
SIBAT European and North 
American division director, 
based in Tel Aviv. “Gotthelf’
s 
initiative of this event, planning 
all the details of the schedule and 
executing it was all together a 
whole new concept that needs to 
be duplicated again. Exposure of 
the Israeli defense companies to 
professional end users in Michigan 
and to defense companies as well 
was an unprecedented event. Our 
defense representatives from the 
Israeli defense companies were very 
pleased.” 
Said Gotthelf: “There is more 
opportunity than ever for Michigan 
and Israel-based companies, from 
mature organizations to start-ups, to 
collaborate.” ■

Beth Gotthelf at this month’
s Michigan 

defense industry trade mission to Israel

One stop among many in the five-day trade 

mission to Israel

jews d
in 
the

Grant to Fund 2 Key 
Mosaic Programs
M

osaic Youth Theatre of 
Detroit has received a $1 
million grant that will 
fund two of their key programs — 
the Summer Camp and the Mosaic 
Experience Empowerment Program 
(MEEP). The grant, to be distributed 
over five years, is from the Seller-
Lehrer Family Foundation (SLFF). 
Mosaic was founded 27 years ago 
by Rick Sperling and is now led by 
Executive Director Stefanie Worth 
and Artistic Director DeLashea 
Strawder. Mosaic provides summer 
camp, in-school mentoring and
artistic opportunities for children. 
“This incredibly generous grant 
comes at an important inflection 
point in Mosaic’
s long history,
” said 
Rick Sperling. “We have demonstrat-
ed success in exposing the exciting 
world of theater and music to Detroit’
s 
youth. As we move onto an exciting 
future with new leadership in 2019, 
this grant ensures a smooth transition 
and our continued ability to fully fund 
our summer camp and the Mosaic 
Experience Empowerment Program 
in Detroit’
s middle schools.
”
SLFF was founded by Broadway 
producer and Detroit native Jeffrey 
Seller and his partner, Josh Lehrer, a 
prominent photographer and doc-
umentarist. Its mission is to fund 
dynamic educational, cultural and 
environmental organizations and ini-
tiatives. 
“Rick Sperling daily demonstrates 
that theater changes lives. His work 
with Mosaic has lifted and enriched 
the lives of thousands of young people 
and we are honored to help support 
a strong future for this extraordinary 
institution,
” said Jeffrey Seller, the 
producer of the Tony Award-winning 
musicals Hamilton, Rent and this sea-
son’
s The Cher Show, among others.
The $1 million grant includes funds 
that will be set aside to establish an 
endowment to support future pro-
grams. The annual funding will sup-
port up to 200 camp scholarships. ■

Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit teens

