F
or 44 years, Sinai Hospital of Detroit was a core institution of the Jewish
community and Metro Detroit’s health care network. The hospital evolved
from the North End Clinic, which provided outpatient medical care to
the Jewish community beginning in the 1920s. Sinai Hospital was established in
1953, in part, because Jewish doctors had difficulty obtaining staff privileges at
most local hospitals but also to provide kosher food and a Jewish atmosphere for
Jewish patients.
Sinai was well-regarded for its medical care, education of many interns and res-
idents, and innovative medical research. But over the years, the health care field
changed, making it difficult for smaller independent hospitals to thrive. In addi-
tion, most of Detroit’s Jewish community had moved from northwest Detroit,
Sinai’s location, to nearby suburbs that had their own hospitals.
In 1997 Sinai was sold to the Detroit Medical Center. As the acquisition was
The Jewish Fund commemorates 25 years of
improving community health.
Sinai Hospital’s
Community
Service Legacy
SHARI S. COHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
14 | APRIL 14 • 2022
OUR COMMUNITY
Jewish Senior Life
has received funding
for programs such as
Dor l’dor.
COURTESY OF THE JEWISH FUND