I
can’t begin to express how grateful and
appreciative I am at how the staff have
worked to accommodate each and every
one of us to keep us safe... Today the icing on
the cake was wonderful volunteers who did
my shopping for me and the wonderful staff
who brought it up to my apartment. We also
had two Seders over the speaker. Thank you
all, Hechtman staff, you truly treat me like
family.
— Doreen Ackner, JSL Hechtman Resident
This simple note of appreciation
illustrates the power of Jewish community
in action. Even during the most
challenging crisis, community agencies like
Jewish Senior Life protect and enrich the
lives of their constituents each and every
day.
Examples like this are abundant. Some
are ingenious, such as the faculty members
at Frankel Jewish Academy creating
much-needed protective face shields
for health workers on the school’s 3-D
printers. Others are inspiring, like the
volunteers regularly delivering groceries
to homebound individuals in their
neighborhood.
Perhaps the most important story of all
is the extraordinary way our community
has come together in response to the
COVID-19 outbreak. Social service
agencies and congregations, Jewish
foundations and funders and many others
are working together to solve the myriad
challenges that have arisen in the wake of
the crisis.
We are extremely proud of the Jewish
Federation’s role in this effort. As the
central fundraising and planning body in
the community, Federation is serving as
leader and convener of the collective work
of our community organizations. We are
honored to partner with agency leaders,
congregational Rabbis and numerous
communal professionals, and we are
deeply grateful for their remarkable talent,
hard work and commitment.
For more than month, Federation has
hosted a daily morning video conference
with agencies and community partners.
The agenda is simple but profoundly
important. What are the challenges of the
day? How can we work together to address
these issues? What else can we do help our
community through this crisis?
Together, a network of community
organizations accomplishes the work of
providing food to those in need, ensuring
the welfare of older adults and other
vulnerable individuals, and maintaining
the stability of families during this time of
uncertainty. Collectively, we are keeping
the Jewish community whole.
We are also grateful for the heroic efforts
of our caregivers and first responders—
such as healthcare professionals and
emergency workers, as well as all those
working to provide food and critical
resources. Despite the extraordinary
conditions, there has been no shortage of
deeply committed individuals willing to
risk their own welfare for others. To these
courageous individuals, we extend our
most sincere gratitude and best wishes for
your continued health and success in this
fight.
Finally, we want to thank and
acknowledge the donors, volunteers
and leaders in our community who have
powered this work. Thanks to the strength
of our Annual Campaign, as well as the
recent COVID-19 Emergency Campaign,
our agencies have the resources to respond
as effectively as they have. It is because of
you, our supporters, that Jewish Detroit
remains among the most generous and
caring communities to be found anywhere.
Please remember that the Jewish
Federation and our partners are here for
you. Visit our online resource page for
help, connection and other information at
jewishdetroit.org/covid19resources. And
remember to call JHELP directly at 1-833-
445-4357 to connect to services.
Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit
jewishdetroit.org
Beverly B. Liss | President, Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
Alan Jay Kaufman | President, United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan Detroit
Strength
and Spirit
of
Jewish Detroit
The
Alan Jay Kaufman
Beverly B. Liss
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