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being finalized, a group of local Jewish leaders
considered the best way to use the $63 million in
sale proceeds for the community’s benefit. This
group included members of the Sinai Hospital
Board, the Sinai Health Care Foundation Board,
and Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
staff and board.
Mark Schlussel, a past president of the Sinai
Health Care Foundation, was one of two founding
co-chairs of the new Jewish Fund,
along with the late Robert Sosnick.
According to Mark Davidoff, then
CFO of Jewish Federation, the group
developed a mission statement,
bylaws and other requirements for
the new foundation. He served as
the initial treasurer/secretary of the
Jewish Fund.
“The goal was to continue the good
works of Sinai Hospital and the North
End Clinic. We took an asset that had
a declining value and turned it into a
separate organization to benefit the
general and Jewish communities. It
has been a singular achievement for
the Jewish community — a remarkable outcome
of the sale of the hospital,” Schlussel believes.
25 YEARS LATER
Twenty-five years after its establishment, the
Jewish Fund has distributed more than $70 mil-
The Jewish Fund
helps the general
community
as well, with
grants for
organization such
as Development
Centers.
The Jewish Fund has
provided grants for teen
mental health programs
for Jewish youth.
lion in grants, says Margo Pernick, executive direc-
tor for the past 13 years. Most grants were used for
programs in three priority areas — improving the
health and well-being of vulnerable local Jewish
residents; early health intervention for babies and
young children; and expanding health care access
for underserved Detroit-area residents.
The Jewish Fund has helped provide health care
for uninsured low-income Jewish community members, paid
for glasses for immigrant children attending Hamtramck public
schools, and funded mental health counseling for Jewish teens.
Pernick says that about 80 percent of the Fund’s annual grants
benefit the Jewish community and 20 percent are designated for
the general community.
“The Jewish Fund is a great example of the value and impor-
tance of endowments. It’s a good balance between Jewish and
general community needs,” says Nancy Grosfeld,
board member and former chair.
The Jewish Fund also supports collaboration
among Jewish and Detroit-based organizations
focused on quality of life in the region. In addition,
grants provide professional development for non-
profit service agencies, and some funds are used
for emergency assistance for families and nonprofit
organizations. The Jewish Fund also manages two
restricted funds — one for medical research and one for low-vi-
sion services for children.
According to Pernick, grant applicants may hear about
the Jewish Fund from a board member or another agency.
Sometimes Pernick learns about an organization with a mission
that fits with the Jewish Fund and she reaches out to them.
The grant application process begins with a conversation with
Pernick, then a proposal, site visit and review by the
full board of the Jewish Fund. She says that about
45 applications are received annually and about 40
are approved through a consensus process.
“Visits to programs are a way to engage the
board. The Jewish Fund is a great connector
between the Jewish and general communities,” says
Bob Aronson, who was CEO of Jewish Federation
and among the leadership group that set up the Jewish Fund.
One of the grants that benefited the general community was
awarded to Authority Health, a nonprofit organization based
“THE GOAL WAS TO CONTINUE THE
GOOD WORKS OF SINAI HOSPITAL
AND THE NORTH END CLINIC. ”
— MARK SCHLUSSEL
Mark
Schlussel
Margo
Pernick
Bob
Aronson
Nancy
Grosfeld
Mark
Davidoff