62 | DECEMBER 2 • 2021

B

efore this calendar year ends, I want
to write about someone whom I
greatly admire and someone who
has devoted her career to bettering the lives
of Jewish and non-Jewish Michiganders.
That someone is somebody
special: Gilda Jacobs.
It was announced this past
July that, after four decades of
public service, Gilda is going
to retire from her position
as president and CEO of the
Michigan League for Public
Policy (July 1, 2021, JN). She
has led the League for the
past 11 years.
The League, by the way, was established
in 1912 as a nonprofit civic organization for
the study and development of good public
policy. Under Gilda’s leadership, it has been
in the forefront of advocacy for the well-
being of children and for equitable policies
regarding taxes, jobs and economic securi-
ty, as well as health care and education, just
to name a few areas of initiative.
Finding articles and reports on Gilda in
the William Davidson Digital Archive of
Jewish Detroit History was an easy task.
She has a presence on more than 300 pages
of the JN since the 1980s. The hard part is
choosing which of her many accomplish-
ments to mention when there are so many.
As former director of the Walter Reuther
Library, Wayne State University, and for-
mer Johanna Meijer Magoon Principal
Archivist at the Bentley Historical Library,
University of Michigan, I have personally
benefited from Gilda’s support. She assisted
me in collecting historic records for the
Bentley and attended important events at
the Reuther.
Gilda began her career in 1981 as the
first woman elected to the Huntington
Woods City Commission. She served there
until 1994, when she was elected to the
Oakland County Commission (1995-1998).

Subsequently, Gilda served
in the Michigan State
Senate for eight years and
the Michigan House for
four years. During this era,
she also made some histo-
ry in the House when she
became the first woman
to be a floor leader in either chamber.
Gilda then moved on to head the Michigan
League for Public Policy (Aug. 12, 2010,
JN).
The stories in the JN also demon-
strate that Gilda’s work always reflected
her Jewish roots and that she never
forgot the local Jewish community. In
this respect, Gilda was given numer-
ous communal accolades such as the
NCJW Detroit Section’s Josephine S.
Weiner Community Service Award
in 2012 (Sept. 13, 2012, JN). In 2019,
she was inducted into the Michigan
Women’s Hall of Fame.
What also impresses me is the many
times Gilda participated in local com-
munity events (Does she ever sleep?).
Gilda will often speak about a serious
topic such as “Social Justice, Politics
and Jewish Life” (May 19, 2005), or
will publish a meaningful essay. See
“Mentor a Student, Change a Life”
in the Sept. 24, 2009, JN. And, she
always seems to be ready for a bit of
fun, passing out kosher candy at Oak Park’s
July 4 parade (July 21, 2005) or judging a
chili cookoff (Danny Raskin’s column, Nov.
19, 2009).
One of Gilda’s campaign advertisements
stated “She’s always made us proud.” Indeed,
she has done just that. Thanks for all your
kindness and your work to make Michigan a
better place, Gilda. Mazel tov!

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN Foundation
archives, available for free at www.djnfoundation.
org.

Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History

accessible at www.djnfoundation.org

The Indefatigable
Gilda Jacobs

Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair