February 7 • 2019 7
jn
Bluma and Robert (
z”l)
Schechter'
s Centennial Gift
Supports Teens,
Seniors and the Jewish Community as a Whole
As my late husband,
Robert,
often said,
‘After we take care
of our family’
s basic needs,
we need to take care of others
who need our help.
"
These are the words of Bluma
Schechter who,
together with Robert,
has been a longtime
supporter and champion of Jewish life and welfare in
Detroit.
Born and raised here,
the Schechters have been
involved with Federation as well as a variety of other Jewish
organizations including ORT,
Yad Ezra and Israel Bonds.
“Robert and I want to make sure our beloved Jewish
community always can take care of its own here and
abroad,
” she says.
“This has been a great lesson for our
children and grandchildren as well.
” With that in mind,
Bluma has created a Centennial Fund to support
Federation’
s Youth Mental Health Initiative and Jewish
Senior Life (JSL),
along with establishing a Perpetual
Annual Campaign Endowment (PACE) Fund.
“Because I love children and have worked with them in so
many different capacities,
I feel that the Youth Mental
Health Initiative is a very important program that needs our
dollars and immediate attention,
” notes Bluma,
a former
teacher and drug and alcohol counselor.
“We also chose to
support JSL to help ensure that seniors always have a place
to go along with the support of their larger community,
especially since this program was so important to Robert’
s
father,
Hy,
after he lost his beloved wife,
Lee.
And we
decided to make a PACE gift because,
after we die,
we need
to make sure that our Jewish community—both here and
abroad—will always thrive and take care of those who need
help.
” By supporting these critical areas,
the Schechters'
Centennial commitment truly embodies the mission of
taking care of the needs of our community’
s future.