10 | AUGUST 25 • 2022 PURELY COMMENTARY W hen I talk to Jewish community leaders around the country, I often hear the same comment: You know, Steve, Detroit has an incredibly strong community. I happen to agree, but what, exactly, does this really mean? Much of it is simply the fact that Jewish life at our synagogues and temples, day schools and organizations across the community is rich and varied, and that, over many generations, the Detroit Jewish community has remained deeply connected to our heritage and collective spirit. Beyond this, however, we can make an important claim: No other community is more generous or committed to Jewish life and welfare than ours here in Detroit. Consider these facts: According to recent data, the Detroit Federation has the single highest percentage of individuals who support their Annual Campaign among large Jewish communities across North America. We also have the highest per capita amount of donations of any community. Having recently completed the largest Annual Campaign in our organization’s history, this doesn’t come as a surprise. But there are a few things this data doesn’t reveal, and without them the story is incomplete: It’s not the size of the campaign that matters, but the good it does for our local and global Jewish community. In other words, the most important measurement is the amount we distribute out. Last year, the Jewish Federation provided more than $120 million to take care of those in need and to build a strong Jewish future for all. Where does it go? To our network of social service agencies, schools, camps, Hillels on campus, JCC and other organizations, as well as our partners working in Israel and around world. From there, your donation makes a difference in the lives of our older adults, individuals with disabilities, jobseekers and families facing hardships. It enriches the lives of campers and college kids, day school students and adult learners and many others. Our donors expect their contributions to be used wisely, and we take that responsibility very seriously. We’re proud to report that more than 91 cents of every dollar are distributed directly to our local and global community, earning us four stars — the highest possible rating — by Charity Navigator, the gold standard for nonprofits. But that’s only half the story. Thanks to our network of agencies and organizations, there’s no more efficient or effective way to support our local and global Jewish community. This became clear recently, as we faced the COVID pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. At the outset of each of these crises, we were able to quickly raise and deploy urgent and life- saving resources to those that needed them. We are extraordinarily grateful to every supporter. We recognize that all our 10,000 donors played an essential role in the success of our campaign, and every single dollar made a difference to the welfare of this community. We are also extremely grateful to the visionary foundations that have served as key supporters and partners in the work of maintaining a thriving Jewish community. We thank you all for your trust, your generosity and most of all your commitment to a Jewish future. As we look ahead, we recognize that inflation, economic instability, global unrest and the long tail of the COVID pandemic suggest that conditions will become more difficult for many in our community, especially those most vulnerable. We hope for the best but are ready for whatever challenges arrive. Most importantly, we know that, thanks to the strength of our Annual Campaign and the donors that make it possible, the Jewish Federation will be here to take care of those in need and to provide a vibrant Jewish future for all. Steven Ingber is CEO of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. You can support the 2023 Annual Campaign at jewishdetroit.org/ donate-online. community update Jewish Detroit’s Generosity Steven Ingber didn’t always involve overt persecution, but it was perva- sive to the degree that at least my great-grandparents had the sense and ability to be able to get four of their children out of Poland. And that when the Jewish community was being deported to their death, local Polish neighbors celebrated, and then took the homes and property of the Jews who once lived next to them. As a result of four children surviving then, I am here. Including my brothers, our wives, children and grandchil- dren we are 22 people. Eighty years is not that long ago, but it feels like ancient history. It’s a significant milestone we can- not let pass without remem- bering our relatives who were murdered, and honoring the survivors, thanks to whom we are here. This year, dozens of descen- dants of the former Kanczuga Jewish community will gather virtually from at least three continents to remember. We represent one very small group of descendants of one very small Jewish communi- ty, in one very small Polish village. And my family, a few dozen within that one small town, whose matriarch and patriarch did everything pos- sible to have their children survive. On that level, the incomprehensible number of six million becomes real. It’s the sum of hundreds of thou- sands of entire families, like mine. Jonathan Feldstein made aliyah in 2004, married and raising six children in the Judean mountains. He is a longtime Jewish nonprofit profes- sional. As president of the Genesis 123 Foundation he works closely with many Christians who support Israel, building bridges in ways that are new, unique and meaningful. THE DAY MY GREAT- GRANDPARENTS DIED continued from page 8