22 | OCTOBER 7 • 2021 

OUR COMMUNITY

T

he Davidson 
Foundation recently 
provided the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan 
Detroit with a grant 
to provide each Jewish 
educational staff member 
in the community with a 
“welcome back” brunch and 
a $200 gift card, as a thank 
you for their efforts during 
the pandemic. 
Plans for the initiative 
have been worked on since 
before the summer, and 
all staff at the local day 
schools, including teachers, 
administrative staff, 
custodial staff, security and 
more received the gift cards. 

“Over the last year and 
a half, our teachers have 
been so resilient and 
courageous in the face of 
the pandemic,” said Steven 
Ingber, Federation CEO. 
“Many, in fact, put the well-
being of our children above 
their own. We owe everyone 
who works in our schools an 
immense debt of gratitude 
and the teacher appreciation 
initiative was just one small 
way for us to say thank you. 
“We also want to thank 
the William Davidson 
Foundation for conceiving of 
the initiative and providing 
the funding to make it 
happen,” Ingber continued. 

“This is just another 
example of the foundation’s 
immense generosity and 
passion for Jewish education 
and the Jewish educators 
and support staff in our 
community.”
The brunch and gift 
cards were a surprise, 
presented to the staff during 
professional development 
meetings the week before 
students returned to school. 
The response has been 
extraordinary. 
The Davidson Foundation’s 
Ethan Davidson, son of Bill 
Davidson, said the initiative 
is reflective of his father’s 
focus. 

“Jewish education 
is the core of what my 
dad was interested in 
philanthropically, and we’ve 
taken his interests to guide 
us with what we do for the 
Foundation,” Davidson said. 
“It’s right at the heart of 
what we do.”
Davidson said he’s gotten 
calls from all the different 
schools, with people 
reaching out and expressing 
their appreciation. Some 
people were even in tears. 
“I think our day school 
ecosystem has done a 
spectacular job managing 
this crisis. The leadership 
has been so on top of it,” 
Davidson said. “We just 
wanted to help people and 
show teachers in some small 
way we value and appreciate 
them and that the Jewish 
community is really built on 
our educators.” 

TOTAL SURPRISE
Jessica Shindler, a second-
grade general studies 
teacher at Hillel, said it 
was mentioned during the 
brunch that there would be 
a $200 gift card for everyone.
“I think everyone’s 
reaction in the room 
was just that they were 
shocked,” Shindler said. “It’s 
one thing to be told we’re 
appreciated, but for them 
to go out of their way for 
such a generous sentiment 
for everyone who has been 
working in the building is so 
huge. It’s something teachers 
are still talking about and 
still appreciating.”
Shindler knows how 

Davidson Foundation and JFMD give $200 
gift cards to day school teachers and staff.

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

A Token of Their 
Appreciation

Federation CEO Steven 
Ingber announced the 
appreciation gift to the 
Hillel Day School staff.

