 OCTOBER 22 • 2020 | 15

Lester said. 
 According to Bernard, the 
crisis provided Federation and 
the Foundation with a shining 
moment. “We were hit with a 
once-in-a-generation pandemic. 
This community quickly pulled 
together,
” he said. “Everyone 
was focused, and everyone was 
committed to the right ideas. 
People who had historically 
been involved and people 
who’
d been less involved in the 
Federation process stepped up.
” 
 Lester added, “COVID 
demonstrated and reaffirmed 
that Federation is the central 
address for the community. I 
did not imagine the degree to 
which this community would 
engage in collaboration with 
one another, sharing ideas, 
sharing resources.
”
 In addition to co-chairing 
the COVID Taskforce, Bernard 
and Lester have been friends 
for more than 20 years. “We’
ve 
done business. We’
ve argued 
together. We built things togeth-
er,
” Bernard said, adding he 
hoped their friendship would 

enhance collaboration between 
Foundation and Federation. 
 “Dennis is a man of the high-
est intellect and integrity and 
passion for our Jewish commu-
nity,
” Lester said, adding that 
they have complementary skill-
sets. “He is very detail-oriented. 
I’
m more big-picture.
”

FEDERATION’S
‘THREE-LEGGED STOOL
’
“I have believed, truly, in my 
kishkes, that Federation was the 
best place for me to have a pos-
itive impact on our Jewish com-
munity, the Jewish people and 
the world,
” Lester said. “If more 
people believe that, if more 
people feel that way, then we are 
going to grow the tent.
” 
 Lester said he sees the 
Federation as a “three-legged 
stool.
” One leg of that stool is 
Federation’
s role as the central 
fundraiser for the Jewish com-
munity. 
 While Lester was raising 
funds for the COVID emergen-
cy campaign, he said he made it 
clear that gifts to the emergency 

continued on page 16

Dennis Bernard, who 
was born and raised in 
Cleveland, moved to 
Detroit 34 years ago to 
be with his eventual wife, 
Hadas. He said he was 
inspired by his great-
uncle, a role model, who 
told him a successful 
life was “built like a 
three-legged stool — 
family, community and 
business — and to try 
and give equally and in a 
coordinated way to each 
one.”
He took his uncle’
s 
advice and was involved 
in Cleveland’
s Federation 
before moving to Detroit. 
A few years later, he 
became involved in 
Federation’
s Young Adult 
division and began to join 
agency and community 
boards. 
One of the first people 
he met was the legendary 
David Hermelin, Detroit-
area philanthropist and 
U.S. ambassador to 
Norway. Hermelin was 
“the godfather to so many 
young men and women 
to help them become 
part of the community,” 
Bernard said. “David took 
me further and helped 
me build my business by 
giving me an opportunity 
early on, but also teaching 
me that at the same 
time to give back, to 
be involved, to use the 
skillset I have to help 
others.”
Bernard is the 
founder and CEO of 
the Bernard Financial 
Group, Michigan’
s largest 
commercial mortgage 
banking and servicing 
firm, which has been 

intimately involved in the 
comeback of Detroit. 
He lives with his wife, 
Hadas, in Birmingham. 
They share an interest in 
philanthropy, focusing 
on at-risk people, such as 
those with developmental 
disabilities, chronic 
mental illness, drug 
addiction and suicide 
risk. Bernard has served 
on a state task force on 
community mental health 
funding now for three 
governors. 
He and Hadas have 
three grown children, 
who call them every day 
wherever they are in the 
world. They have a close 
family, who spend time 
together often. “We are all 
big personalities. We fight, 
we argue, we laugh, we 
make fun. We play tricks 
on each other and nobody 
takes it personal. We have 
a riot.”
Bernard, who used to be 
an avid mountain biker, 
says he has two hobbies 
that helped keep him busy 
during the lockdown. “I 
have a large train room 
in my attic that I started 
building with my kids 
when they were young, 
that I continue to build, 
and it gives me a lot of 
time to get away from 
business, community and 
family issues,” he said. 
“The other thing I do is 
make Shutterfly books 
for the family. I digitized 
all these old photos from 
32 years of marriage and 
family am in the process 
of making a Shutterfly 
book for every year, a 
legacy for my family.” 

MEET DENNIS BERNARD

COURTESY OF FEDERATION

