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

