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

