20 August 29 • 2019
jn

J

ewish Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit CEO Scott Kaufman told 
his executive committee, staff 
and Federation board members he 
was leaving his job last week after a 
decade at the helm. He says he plans 
to focus his efforts on leading some 
innovative, collaborative projects 
aimed at strengthening Jewish com-
munities. 
Kaufman of Huntington Woods 
had long been involved in lay leader-
ship roles in the Jewish community 
before becoming head of Federation 
at age 43.
Reached mid-day, he interrupted 
hugs and congratulations to talk to 
the JN briefly about why he was mak-
ing this move. 
“It’
s been 10 years — that’
s a long 
time in a very challenging job. I’
ve 
been all in all of the time,” he said. 
“My role is building community — 
the community works together well; 
we collaborate well; we now put com-
munity before brand. The community 
is better off than it was a decade ago.
“What I’
ve learned should be 
exported. The Detroit lessons can 
go broader. I was the right leader for 
then; now someone can build on that 
and take us to the new level with new 
energy.”
While Kaufman says he has no 
definite plans, he does have ideas of 
how to spend his time after leaving 
his position at the end of November.
“I want to balance my life a little,” 
he said. “I want to take some time off 
this winter to recharge my batteries 
— a mini gap year. I don’
t want later 
to wish I had done that. I’
ll do some 
bucket list things, like travel and ski-
ing, which is a major passion. I took a 
week’
s vacation this summer studying 
at the Hartman Institute in Israel. I 
really enjoy learning and want to take 
more classes.
“But I am not moving. If I can 
be helpful with anything, I’
m just a 
phone call away. This community is 

in my blood, and I am not walking 
away.”
He will serve as a consultant to 
Federation and continue to lead the 
development of JLIFE, a new plat-
form to engage individuals through 
events and programs — a platform 
of Jewish connectivity that can be 
useful here and in other Jewish com-
munities, he says. And, in January, he 
will volunteer as chair of the board 
of Leading Edge, the Alliance for 
Excellence in Jewish Leadership. 
During Kaufman’
s tenure, the 
Jewish Federation increased its 
endowments and other assets from 
$450 million to nearly $700 million, 
the highest level in its history. The 
Centennial Fund was launched and 
has now raised close to $240 million 
to support a variety of core Jewish 
areas.
Kaufman also led the effort to 
reimagine young adult engage-
ment in Metro Detroit, resulting in 
CommunityNEXT, NEXTGen Detroit 
and other affinities-based outreach 
approaches that have become nation-
al models. Also, under his watch, 

Federation launched JHELP, a youth 
mental health initiative, and the 
Community-Wide Security Program.
His time at Federation was not 
without controversy. When the 
Jewish Community Center closed 
its location in Oak Park in 2015 due 
to financial difficulties, Federation 
found a donor and stepped in to try 
to replace the building with a new 
structure that would be a gathering 
place in the area and home to several 
agencies. The old building was razed 
but tenants needed to sustain a new 
building could not be secured, and 
it never materialized. Community 
members still express bitterness.
“I am deeply grateful to Scott 
for his remarkable commitment 
and service,” says Beverly Liss, 
Federation president. “While we 
will all greatly miss his many tal-
ents as an exec — along with his 
warmth, humor and tremendous 
personal integrity — we are excited 
for him to continue his journey as a 
creative visionary and leader.” 
Alan Kaufman, president of the 
United Jewish Foundation, the 
Federation’
s fiduciary partner that 
holds, manages and distributes the 
Jewish community’
s assets, said, 
“We are indebted to Scott for his 
extraordinary passion, commitment 
and hard work on behalf of Jewish 
Detroit. He is a unique leader 
whose inclusive approach has truly 
made an important difference for a 
number of people across our Jewish 
community.”
For his part, Kaufman sees his 
position as “one of the major Jewish 
jobs open in the country.”
“We’
re in a good place, a good 
community with a wonderful pro-
fessional team and lay leaders. It’
s a 
good opportunity for someone,” he 
said. 
A search committee will be 
formed and will begin an exten-
sive national search in the coming 
weeks, according to a Federation 
press release.
“I am incredibly grateful for 
having this opportunity to work 
for our community on behalf of 
the Jewish people with incredible 
people, professionals, lay leaders, 
donors, organizations,” Kaufman 
said. “It’
s the biggest blessing in my 
life. An honor and a privilege. I am 
very proud of what we have accom-
plished together.” ■ 

A Change in 
Leadership

Kaufman to step down as Detroit Federation CEO.

jews d
in 
the

KERI GUTEN COHEN STORY DEVELOPMENT EDITOR

FEDERATION

Scott Kaufman 

Ancestry and The 
Arolsen Archives 
Digitize Holocaust 
Records

In July, Ancestry.com announced a 
partnership with the Arolsen Archives, 
an International Center on Nazi 
Persecution, to create the Holocaust 
Remembrance Collection. The collec-
tion includes records from Holocaust 
and Nazi persecution-related archives.
“People across the world will now be 
able to digitally search two collections 
of records to learn more about their 
heritage and family history post-Holo-
caust,
” a spokesperson from Ancestry 
says. The two collections are: 
Africa, Asia and Europe, Passenger 
Lists of Displaced Persons (1946-1971): 
This collection mostly tracks people 
displaced by the war in resettlement 
camps and determines where they went 
afterwards.
Europe, Registration of Foreigners 
and German Persecutees (1939-1947): 
Registers of people living in Germany 
who were persecuted, and may also 
include information on those who 
died, including burial information.
Access to the records requires an 
account but not a subscription. It is free 
and accessible worldwide.
“We are delighted that this infor-
mation is becoming part of the public 
record,
” says Rabbi Eli Mayerfeld, CEO 
of the Holocaust Memorial Center in 
West Bloomfield. “This is a part of the 
historical record that needs to be told 
and it is exciting that people are going 
to be able to find the information easily 
online.
”
Mayerfeld already performed 
test searches in the Holocaust 
Remembrance Collection.
“
Ancestry is really an expert at 
making searches easy,
” Mayerfeld says. 
“Even if you have very little informa-
tion, they are able to reach out and 
make connections for you.
“Making this available online opens 
up the opportunity for people to learn 
about the history of their own families 
in a way that was just unavailable to us 
a few days ago,
” Mayerfeld says. ■

CORRIE COLF STAFF WRITER 

