Febraury 14 • 2019 17
jn

JOAN MEYERS JAMPEL
Hometown: Bloomfield Hills
Education: Highland Park High School 
and University of Michigan (economics 
major) 
Personal achievements: Library chair 
and coordinator of volunteer services at 
the JCC’
s Henry and Delia Meyers Library 
& Media Center since 2000; Temple Beth 
El board member; a 2013 “Eight over 80” 
honoree for Jewish Senior Life. 
Immediate family: Husband, Dr. Robert 
Jampel, ophthalmologist and retired 
director of Kresge Eye Institute; four 
children, Dr. Henry Jampel, Delia Jampel, 
James Jampel and Emily Sherman; and 
12 grandchildren.

HENRY MEYERS
Lived: 1895-1952 in Detroit
Education: Detroit College of Law
Professional: Partner, law firm of 
Friedman, Meyers and Keys
Synagogues: Congregation Shaarey 
Zedek and Temple Beth El
Personal achievements: World War 
I veteran; JCC president, 1937-1941, 
overseeing the JCC’
s move to Woodward 
and Holbrook; 32nd degree Mason; head 
of Detroit’
s USO — largest in the U.S. 
— during World War II; Jewish Welfare 
Federation Board of Governors; Detroit 
Public Library Commission president, 
1948-1952; Meyers and Curtis JCC 
names Henry and Delia Meyers Library 
for him and his wife, 1959, transferring 
to the West Bloomfield JCC
Immediate Family: Wife, the late Delia 
Meyers; daughters, Joan Jampel and 
Elizabeth Meyers Klein.

The presidential letters will be 
displayed through Tuesday, March 5, 
in Cass Hall, first floor of the Main 
Library, 5201 Woodward, Detroit. The 
free exhibit is open during regular 
library hours: noon-8 p.m. Tuesday 
and Wednesday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. 
Thursday-Saturday; and 1-5 p.m. 
Sunday. Free parking is available 
Saturday and Sunday in the staff lot 
on Putnam Street. For information, 
call (313) 481-1401.

details

TOP LEFT: Joan Meyers Jampel.

TOP RIGHT: Mark Bowden, coordinator of special 

collections at the library, shows the letters to 

patrons.

Jampel purchased the library’
s sec-
ond box. That volume contains letters 
from more recent presidents. Through 
a dealer, she personally obtained a 
letter by George H.W
. Bush and one of 
two letters from Carter. When retired 
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin heard about the 
project, he donated personal letters 
he’
d received from George W
. Bush, 
Clinton and Obama. The letter from 
Obama completes the collection.
“I was raised in Detroit by parents 
who were active in Jewish affairs,
” 
Jampel said. With them in mind, 
she’
s dedicated her life to organizing 
and saving the archives at Temple 
Beth El in Bloomfield Township 
and the Henry and Delia Meyers 
Library & Media Center at the Jewish 
Community Center (JCC) in West 
Bloomfield, which is celebrating its 
60th year this year. 
“I focused on saving worthwhile 
projects that were in danger of being 
demolished,
” she explained.
On Feb. 6, Jampel and a few family 
members and friends attended the 
public opening of the library exhibit. 
She said she’
s proud the collection of 
presidential letters is available because 
“my family believes in giving from 
generation to generation.
” ■