Jews in the D

continued from page 18

20 | SEPTEMBER 12 • 2019 

make a real difference in people’
s 
lives, so I left what I was doing 
and began my career.

How did you two get involved 
in Jewish Detroit?
N: What triggered us — as a 
couple — was the decision to go 
to Israel on a national mission in 
1977. 
S: Norm had a friend in 
the insurance business, Mark 
Solomon of Philadelphia. He 
was involved in UJA (United 
Jewish Appeal) and had led 
many missions to Israel. I was 
27 and Norm was 29; we had 
two young children at home; but 
Mark said to us, “Give me 10 

days of your life, and it will never 
be the same.” Norm and I had 
never been to Europe. We had 
never been anywhere, just the 
two of us. So, we decided, “Yes, 
let’
s do it.” And, Mark was right. 
It changed our lives.
N: That experience in Israel 
really hit home; we realized 
we weren’
t doing our fair share 
and, when we returned, we 
significantly increased our gift 
to Federation and committed 
ourselves to bringing people to 
Israel. 
S: After that, Norm and 
I started getting calls to get 
involved with Federation. That 
was our jumpstart.
N: All the attention was a little 
embarrassing. I didn’
t like to 
be singled out for doing what I 
thought was the right thing.
Israel connected us to the 
community and sealed our 
Jewish identity in a way we 
hadn’
t experienced before. After 
that first mission, we led a 
national mission to Vienna and 
Israel in 1980 and, in 1981, we 
chaired our first Detroit mission 
with Larry Jackier. We believe 
that missions to Israel bring out 
and develop community leaders 
and change lives. 
One of my best memories in 
Israel? In 1997, I tried out for 
the National U.S. Tennis Team 
for the Maccabiah Games held in 
Jerusalem. I made the team with 
five guys in my age bracket. For 
doubles, I got paired with some-
one who wasn’
t a great singles 
player, but very good at doubles. 
We beat the No. 1 team, and 
I came home with a silver and 
a bronze medal. That was a thrill. 

The secret to your dedication to 
community service?
N: I’
ve always been interested 
in hearing people’
s stories and I 
want to help in solving problems 
for individuals as well as the 

community.
When I was campaign chair in 
1992, I heard about a program 
the Houston and Philadelphia 
Federations were doing called the 
Challenge Fund, where funds 
are matched to any increase in 
giving. I thought why couldn’
t 
we do that here in Detroit? The 
first year took an incredible team 
effort, and it worked! Every 
year since then, we have had a 
Challenge Fund, which contin-
ues to be vital to our commu-
nity’
s annual fundraising effort. 
Without these dollars, we could 
not do all the things we do every 
year.
S: Norm is committed to 
reaching out to others as he is 
needed. He also comes up with 
interesting ideas. He started the 
President’
s Club to bring givers 
to the $10,000 level (and is 
still using that as a solicitation 
approach even though there 
isn’
t a formal President’
s Club in 
Detroit.) He suggested the idea 
of the Breakfast Club so people 
could get together and hear 
engaging speakers without being 
asked to give a gift to attend.
And, of course, it was Norm’
s 
idea to start the Innovative 
Idea of the Year Award for the 
Federation staff. The Pappas 
Prize is now in its 21st year. We 
look forward to choosing and 
presenting this award every year 
to someone on the Federation 
staff. Everyone appreciates the 
recognition.

Norm, who has influenced your 
style of leadership?
N: Max Fisher always set the 
standard. I enjoyed working and 
learning from David Hermelin, 
Larry Jackier, Emery Klein and 
Bob Naftaly. I also had great 
partnerships with Peter Alter 
and Nancy Grosfeld, who were 
Federation presidents while I was 
Foundation president.

What do you see as Jewish 
Detroit’
s greatest strengths, 
opportunities and challenges?
N: In Jewish Detroit, we have 
a downsized population, a lot 
of infrastructure and buildings, 
many congregations — adding 
to many needs competing for 
our dollars. We have one of the 
oldest Jewish communities in the 
country, so we must continually 
ask how can we take care of our 
seniors? And our kids? How do 
we take care of their education? 
These are our challenges. But I’
ve 
always said, if everybody would 
replace themselves — through 
PACE (campaign endowment 
funds) or other charitable instru-
ments, we’
d be forever strong. 
Susie and I are happy to be 
able to help our community. As 
sponsors of Federation’
s 2017 
Annual Campaign Challenge 
Fund, we have added our 
support to scholarships at 
Tamarack Camps and Yeshiva 
Beth Yehudah. Federation’
s 
Youth Mental Health Initiative, 
in partnership with Friendship 
Circle, really resonated with us. 
We’
re grateful our community is 
addressing the mental well-
being of our kids and that we 
can support that vitally import-
ant program. 

In all your leadership roles, 
what have you gained in return? 
N: The satisfaction of helping 
those in need … tikkun olam.
S: And the fact that we’
ve 
done it together … It’
s always 
been an integral part of our mar-
riage.
N: We’
ve made wonderful 
friends and found our place in 
the Jewish community. That’
s 
what it’
s all about … period. 

Federation’
s Annual Meeting is at 7:30 

p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Berman 

Center for the Performing Arts in West 

Bloomfield. Open to the community.

“We’ve made 
wonderful 
friends and 
found our 
place in 
the Jewish 
community.”

— NORM PAPPAS

