26 | OCTOBER 17 • 2019 

S

ome 700 community 
leaders and Friends of 
the Israel Defense Forces 
(FIDF) supporters from across 
Michigan will gather 6 p.m. on 
Tuesday, Oct. 29, at the FIDF 
Michigan Annual Dinner at 
Congregation Shaarey Zedek 
for “
A Night of Heroes” — 
meeting Israel’
s men and 
women in uniform and contrib-
uting to FIDF’
s well-being and 
educational programs. 
Chemi J. Peres, chairman of 
the board of directors of the 
Peres Center for Peace and 
Innovation, co-founder and 
managing general partner of 
Pitango Venture Capital and 
son of the late Israeli President 

Shimon Peres, will deliver the 
gala’
s keynote speech. 
The event’
s honorees are 
longtime FIDF supporters, 
Karolyn and Arie Leibovitz. The 
Leibovitzes have granted more 
than 40 combat veterans with 
post-service college scholar-
ships through FIDF’
s IMPACT! 
Scholarship Program. 
Co-chairing the dinner are 
FIDF Michigan Chairman 
Alon and Shari Kaufman, 
and FIDF Michigan President 
Gary and Lisa Shiffman. 
Honorary co-chairs are Cyndi 
and Anthony Leibovitz, Barak 
Leibovitz, Jay Byron Leibovitz, 
Rachel and Scott Leibovitz. 
Also present will be Sophie 

Klisman and Doug Harvey. 
Klisman, a Holocaust survivor 
who joined the FIDF Mission to 
Poland and Israel this past May, 
was reunited soon after the mis-
sion with Harvey, a U.S. Army 
infantryman veteran who was 
one of the liberators of the Nazi 
concentration camp Salzwedel, 
where Klisman was held.
A delegation of Israel Defense 
Forces (IDF) soldiers will be 
at the event, including Maj. 
Matan, now a doctor in a pres-
tigious IDF commando unit, 
who will share his family’
s story 
of perseverance — from the 
horrors of the Holocaust to his 
brave service as an Israeli sol-
dier today.
Sgt. L., a commander in 
an elite IDF unit, and a Lone 
Soldier — one who voluntari-
ly enlists in the IDF without 
having immediate family in 
Israel — originally from a small 
Alaska town will aslo speak. 
Guests will also include FIDF 
Midwest Executive Director 

Tamir Oppenheim and FIDF 
Michigan Chapter Director 
Paula Lebowitz. TV journalist 
Michelle Divonwill will emcee 
the event. 
“We are so honored to be 
hosting this incredible event, 
which each year gives our 
supporters the chance to hear 
directly from the brave men and 
women who protect Israel — 
and Jews worldwide,
” said Alon 
Kaufman. “This year, it is our 
great pleasure to honor Karolyn 
and Arie Leibovitz, valued 
members of our community 
who are deeply committed to 
Israel and its soldiers.
”
The event will begin with a 
cocktail reception and strolling 
dinner, followed by a program 
at 7:30 p.m. Funds raised will go 
toward FIDF educational and 
well-being programs for IDF 
soldiers. For more information 
or to support FIDF, visit fidf.
org/events/2019-michigan-
chapter-annual-dinner. 

Jews in the D

Celebrating 
the FIDF

700 Michiganders to gather for
FIDF Michigan Annual Dinner.

Chemi J. 
Peres

PENTAGO VENTURE CAPITAL

A

s the 2020 U.S. 
Census approaches, 
Michigan is making 
plans to urge the state’
s eth-
nic and minority residents to 
stand up and be counted.
To boost in that effort, 
New Michigan Media, 
made up of five ethnic and 
minority media outlets — 
Arab-American News, Detroit 
Jewish News, Michigan 
Chronicle, Latino Press and 
Korean Weekly as well as a 
network of more than 100 
ethnic and minority media 
affiliates — was recently 
awarded a $1.2 million grant 

from the Michigan Nonprofit 
Association. 
Census results will be 
utilized for the allocation 
of federal funds until 2030. 
Approximately $30 billion is 
at stake for Michigan over 
that timeframe. Additionally, 
the census information 
may have an impact on the 
number of representatives 
Michigan has in Congress. It 
currently has 14 members. 
Hayg Oshagan, associate 
professor at Wayne State 
University and director of 
New Michigan Media, said 
the importance of New 

Michigan Media’
s targeted 
role in the 2020 census out-
reach effort “cannot be over-
stated.”
“Across the U.S., ethnic 
and racial minorities are 
almost always under-count-
ed in the census,” he said. 
“There’
s a real need for 
Michigan’
s minority media to 
be leveraged to address low 
participation rates by helping 
their readers understand the 
census and overcome their 
fear and mistrust of partici-
pating.”
According to Jewish News 
Publisher and Executive 

Editor Arthur Horwitz, 
“Unlike the 2010 census, 
when uneven efforts to edu-
cate and secure participation 
by Michigan residents result-
ed in undercounting of ethnic 
and minority populations, 
the additional efforts being 
coordinated by the Michigan 
Nonprofit Association are 
meant to help ensure that our 
state’
s residents receive what 
they legally deserve.” 
So far, Oshagan said the 
grant has been used to mobi-
lize Michigan’
s ethnic media 
at conferences and meetings 
throughout the state. 

JN STAFF

New Michigan Media 
Gets Census Grant

