48 | JUNE 10 • 2021
OBITUARIES
OF BLESSED MEMORY
G
eli knew everyone,
and everyone knew
Geli. Or so it seemed
to anyone who crossed paths
with the friendly, outgoing
Jewish communal worker —
a born connector.
Some might know Geli
from his long association
with the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit (JFMD)
in Bloomfield Township.
He also was an executive
for 15 years at the West
Bloomfield-based Jewish
Community Center (JCC)
of Metropolitan Detroit
and capped his professional
career in Farmington Hills
by serving four years as East
Central Region director
of the American Technion
Society. His voluntarism and
acts of kindness further dis-
tinguished him.
Allan Marvin (“Call me
Geli”) Gelfond, 85, died on
May 28, 2021. He was a resi-
dent of Farmington Hills.
“The mere mention of his
name meant commitment,
stewardship, caring and an
unwavering commitment
to the Jewish people,” said
Mark Davidoff, a former
chief operating officer at
JFMD and now CEO of The
Fisher Group and an adviser
to the Detroit Jewish News
Foundation.
“Geli dedicated his life to
the Detroit Jewish communi-
ty,” said Rabbi Harold Loss,
officiating at his Temple
Israel congregant’s June 1
funeral. Yet, Metro Detroit
was Geli’s adopted home.
Born Aug. 16, 1935, in
Vancouver, Canada, Geli and
his parents, Sally and Morris,
and younger brother, Chuck,
lived behind the family’s gro-
cery store.
Geli took a fancy to the
youth movement Habonim, a
wing of today’s Ameinu orga-
nization. Habonim develops
Jewish leaders with a strong
love of Israel
and commit-
ment to build-
ing peace and
justice through
community
activism.
After 11th
grade, Geli
joined other
Canadian and
American youth
on the second
Habonim Dror
Workshop,
the longest-running Israel
gap year program in North
America since 1951. Geli’s
big adventure changed his
life. He met Harriet Subrin
from a Labor Zionist family
in Detroit before returning
home to finish high school.
They married on Dec. 18,
1954, in Lacher’s, a Dexter
Avenue storefront.
Geli earned bachelor
and master’s degrees in
social work at Wayne State
University. Years later, he and
Harriet funded a scholarship
for WSU social work students
who planned to work with
those having developmental
disabilities.
A first job leading
Habonim in Detroit paid
just $35 weekly. But wages
weren’t the main thing for
Geli. “He involved himself
in every cause,” Harriet said.
“He had his eyes and ears
open for any need that need-
ed filling.”
PROTOTYPE FOR JARC
Geli developed the Parents
Association for Residential
Care while working at the
JCC. The program was the
prototype for
JARC, founded
in 1969 and
headquartered
in Farmington
Hills. JARC
provides hous-
ing and other
services to
people with
developmental
challenges.
Between
1980-2009,
Geli rose
to the position of senior
financial resource officer
for the Jewish Community
Foundation of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit. He served as Annual
Campaign director and
raised hundreds of millions
of dollars. JFMD gave him
several awards.
“In the Campaign area, he
was the ‘go to guy.’ He was
really successful because
he liked people and they
liked him,” said Penny
Blumenstein, a former
Federation president. With
his easy personality, Geli
improved the experience of
taking JFMD missions to
Israel. “He always had a story
and a joke,” she said.
A eulogy by Geli’s friend,
Steve Katzman of Arizona,
was read at the graveside
service. Geli, wrote Katzman,
had “many ideas for how to
improve the world we live in.
He was concerned about gov-
ernment cuts to nonprofits.
He sought more money for
those in need.”
Geli networked before the
word was widely used. He
carried business cards of peo-
ple looking for work, then
was elated to match them
with suitable employers.
Deena Gelfond said her dad
shared information and arti-
cles on topics he thought the
recipient would enjoy, such
as the sports clippings he sent
her brother, Noam, at camp.
Geli’s hobby was long-distance
running, including 60-mile
ultra-marathons.
At home, the Gelfond
children saw parents who
supported each other. As
Loss noted: “Geli loved his
family; he loved the Jewish
people; he loved our Jewish
community; he loved being
of service.”
Geli Gelfond is survived
by his wife, Harriet; daugh-
ters, Gila and Deena; son
and daughter-in-law, Noam
and Elise; brother, Charles;
grandson, Max and Max’s
mother, Sabra.
Interment was at
Machpelah Cemetery in
Detroit. Contributions may
be directed to JARC, The
Gelfond Ill and Aging Fund,
6735 Telegraph Road, Suite
100, Bloomfield Hills, MI
48301, jarc.org/make-a-dona-
tion, (248) 940-2617; or Yad
Ezra, 2850 W. 11 Mile Road,
Berkley, MI 48072, yadezra.
org/donate, (248) 548-
3663; or a charity of one’s
choice. Arrangements by Ira
Kaufman Chapel.
‘Call Me Geli’
ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Allan “Geli” Gelfond