12 | APRIL 9 • 2020
continued from page 10
Jews in the D
REACHING EVERYONE IN THE
JEWISH COMMUNITY
In Detroit’
s Jewish community,
Jewish Senior Life (JSL) has
many residents whose first
language is Russian. Most live
in the Teitel and Prentis apart-
ments in Oak Park, which
together have more than 340
apartments.
While these residents
typically understand some
English, filling out even a
simple form may be daunting,
and a government request for
information might seem to be
of more concern than it would
for someone born in the U.S.
However, a bilingual con-
versation with two Russian
American residents of Teitel
Apartments indicated an
understanding of the purpose
of the census and a willing-
ness to complete the form.
Larissa Kleshchik, Teitel’
s
resident service coordinator,
translated when necessary
during an interview with res-
idents Valentina and Paulina.
Valentina, who declined to
give her last name, emigrat-
ed from Shakalin Island in
Russia two years ago. Paulina
moved from the Moscow area
nine years ago.
Both had heard about the
census. “It’
s very important.
Every vote counts, depend-
ing on where people live. It’
s
important to know demo-
graphics,” Valentina said.
Each woman planned to
try and complete the forms,
probably with assistance from
family members or Kleshchik,
who helped residents 10 years
ago with the previous census.
However, due to coronavirus
restrictions that have taken
hold in Michigan since this
interview, family members
and others cannot visit any JSL
residence, so their interaction
is limited to phone calls and
email. Kleshchik says many
residents have received their
forms, and some have contact-
ed her for help.
At JSL’
s Meer Apartments
in West Bloomfield, adminis-
trator Marcia Mittleman says
they posted a notice about
the importance of the cen-
sus some time ago, offering
assistance, if needed. She says
many of their residents are
college-educated and a large
number have computers.
Meer has a volunteer who
normally helps residents with
any computer issues, but com-
munal activities have been
canceled due to COVID-19.
However, a Meer social work-
er is helping some residents
complete the form online or
by phone. Only a “handful”
of residents have left Meer to
move in with their families
because of the pandemic,
Mittleman says.
JSL also operates assisted
living facilities, including
Fleischman Residence in
West Bloomfield. Jo Strausz
Rosen, JSL executive director
of development, said, “These
forms are overwhelming for
them. Some have family mem-
bers who do not live close by
and would rely on the help of
our staff and volunteers.”
Mary Blowers, activity
director at Fleischman, said
she will “make rounds on all
three floors, including the
residents of the memory care
floor.” She assisted individuals
who needed help voting in the
recent elections and plans to
do the same for the census.
Lenore Crawford, 91,
lived at All Seasons West
Bloomfield until recently, but
moved to her daughter’
s home
after several people there test-
ed positive for COVID-19.
Her daughter, Ellen Betel of
West Bloomfield, was a civics
and government teacher, who
understands the importance of
the census.
“Mom did fine with it,”
Betel says. “We (Ellen and her
husband Ed) did it for her,
with her and with her under-
standing.”
REACHING THOSE
IN GROUP HOMES
Residents of group living
situations, such as skilled
nursing facilities, residential
treatment centers and group
homes, are also supposed
to be included in the census
count. To accomplish this,
the Census Bureau contacts
an administrator at each
group facility to include all
residents in the census count.
In Detroit’
s Jewish com-
munity, two agencies —
JARC, based in Farmington
Hills, and Kadima, based in
Southfield — operate group
homes.
At JARC, which provides
Our Role in
the Census
New Michigan Media, a
consortium of ethnic and
minority news outlets across
the state that includes the
Jewish News, has been active-
ly involved in encouraging
Census participation among
its collective audience. Over
the last few weeks, NMM’
s
outreach initiative (supported
by the Michigan Nonprofit
Association) has focused on
maximizing Census respons-
es among its broad and
diverse coalition of readers,
viewers and listeners.
You have seen this out-
reach in the pages of JN, in
the form of public service
advertisements, joint edito-
rials from NMM publishers
and other op-eds on the
importance of the Census
from community leaders.
For those who have not yet
responded to the Census, it’
s
not too late. Once stay-in-
place restrictions lift, you will
receive a paper questionnaire,
phone call or home visit from
a census taker. Please take
this opportunity to respond
so that you are counted and
your Jewish community, and
all Michigan communities,
can benefit from your partic-
ipation.
“It’s very important. Every vote
counts, depending on where
people live. It’s important to
know demographics.”
— VALENTINA