24 | SEPTEMBER 23 • 2021
C
ongregations and Jewish
education are critical to
the vibrancy of the Detroit
Jewish community. They provide
the community with religious,
spiritual and moral building blocks
that keep us connected to one
another. In 1999, the Hermelin
and Davidson families estab-
lished and endowed the Hermelin
Davidson Center for Congregation
Excellence. Housed at the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit,
the Hermelin Davidson Center
is dedicated to supporting inno-
vative and collaborative Jewish
educational programming. Since its
inception, the center has commit-
ted more than $5 million toward
this goal.
The challenges and opportu-
nities of this year are remarkable,
and accordingly, the volunteer lay
leaders of the Hermelin Davidson
Center committee (chaired by Dr.
Lynda Giles) were honored to part-
ner with congregations, congrega-
tional schools and other supporting
community institutions on a vari-
ety of grants.
COVID-19 PANDEMIC
RESPONSE
Last year, the Hermelin Davidson
Center committee designated
$100,000 to support congregational
schools’ virtual learning at the start
of the COVID-19 pandemic. More
than 100 classrooms across 13
congregational schools benefitted
from technology grants of $500
per classroom. These grants helped
schools cover a variety of expenses
such as Zoom subscriptions, online
education platforms and hardware
such as laptops and video equip-
ment so that teachers could con-
nect with their students virtually.
These grants not only helped
schools adapt to virtual and social-
ly distant education, but they also
represent an investment in future
technology integration. In addition,
the COVID fund also supported
congregational school educators’
enrollment in the virtual NewCAJE
(newcaje.org) professional devel-
opment conference, enabling local
educators to prepare for a year of
innovation amid uncertainty.
RACIAL INCLUSION FUND
The Hermelin Davidson Center
committee designated $45,000 to
promote racial inclusion education
in congregational life. A grant of
$15,000 supported a Diversity
Fellow at Detroit Jews for Justice
(detroitjewsforjustice.org) who
partners with several local con-
gregations. Additionally, a $30,000
fund was established to provide
programming grants of up to
$4,000 to support congregations’’
racial inclusion education and ini-
tiatives that uplift Jews of Color in
the community.
CONGREGATIONAL
TEEN DIRECTORS
Strengthening Jewish identity
among youth is critical to the
long-term success of the Detroit
Jewish community. In partnership
The Hermelin Davidson Center makes
an impact throughout the community.
Keeping
Congregations
Excellent
JN STAFF
TOP: YFTI teens participate in a leadership retreat. Rachel
Kestenberg, center, is one of the congregational teen directors
supported by the Hermelin Davidson Center.
ABOVE: A Temple Israel student participates in Sunday School
from home. The Hermelin Davidson Center provided funds to
enable synagogues to offer remote learning through the pandemic,
such as purchasing Zoom licenses.
OUR COMMUNITY