46 April 25 • 2019
jn
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arts&life
before stories became tied together
were sports celebrities, such as Isiah
Thomas and Joe Dumars, who were
part of the championship-winning
Pistons Bad Boys, who celebrate their
30th anniversary this year. Many
of the players attended a March 31
premiere of the film at the Detroit
Institute of Arts.
“My father really loved puzzles,”
recalls Ethan, who
worked on the final
edits with director
Deb Agolli of Push
Media and her team.
“I had never done
puzzles, but I felt like
my father putting a
puzzle together.”
That puzzle unfolds
in part by showing
the way Bill Davidson
used parenting skills
to become a father
figure for players on
the sports teams he owned.
“The most important aspect of
his personality was that he was very
steady,” Ethan says. “I always looked
up to my dad and loved my dad.
My parents divorced when I was
very young, and I lived with my dad
through my teenage years. He was
sort of my only parent at that time, so
I was attached to him.
“My father sent me to Hillel Day
School, which was a great experience
for me. He was also the president
of Shaarey Zedek. I like to travel
throughout the Jewish community.
During the week, I may go to an
ultra-Orthodox place or Shaarey
Zedek. On Sundays, I take the kids to
Temple Beth El.”
When Ethan became part of the
foundation, he resigned from other
boards so he would be removed from
any perception of conflict. He is glad
the family remains close and partic-
ipates in foundation
governance.
“When my dad
called me back here to
help out with the foun-
dation, a big part was
organizing a business,”
Ethan says. “I was able
to do that with my rel-
atives, Ralph Gerson,
particularly, and Eli
Saulson as well as my
stepmother.
“I learned a lot
about how to organize
a business and the kinds of things
you have to do to make these organi-
zations run as efficiently as you can
so they can have the largest possible
impact for the greatest number of
people. It ended up sort of being like
a mini MBA degree.
“I had some of the experience of
my father, but I’
m still a different per-
son than he was, and I should be.”
That difference can be particularly
noted in the credits, where Ethan
is listed as composer for the film’
s
music. ■
Karen and Bill Davidson in Israel
DAVIDSON FAMILY
Bill Davidson with sister
Dorothy Gerson
details
The Lenore Marwil Detroit Jewish Film Festival runs May 5-15 at the Jewish
Community Center with Call Me Bill: The William Davidson Story being shown
free at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 2. Film fest prices: $11, JCC members, $13,
nonmembers.
(248) 661-1900. detroitjewishfilmfestival.com.
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