20 | OCTOBER 13 • 2022 

B

en Rosenthal will be presented with 
the Fred M. Butzel Memorial Award 
for Distinguished Community 
Service at the Jewish Federation/United 
Jewish Foundation’s 2022-23 annual meeting 
on Oct. 13. The award, Federation’s highest 
volunteer honor, is named for the Jewish 
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s first 
president and is presented every fall to a com-
munity member for his or her leadership and 
devotion.
Rosenthal, who will receive the honor in 
the Jewish Community Center’s Berman 
Center for Performing Arts, says it’s emotion-
al to be recognized in this way for his work 
helping fellow Jews. “It’s an enormous honor 
for somebody who’s involved in Jewish life in 
Detroit.
” he says.
During his tenure with Federation, 
Rosenthal has held leadership roles with its 
executive committee and became President of 
the United Jewish Foundation. He has chaired 
the Community Services Division, taken part 
in a subcommittee for elder care, chaired the 
accounts receivable committee, and chaired 
as well as acted as associate chairman for 
Michigan Miracle Missions. He helped lead 

the Agency for Jewish Education and been 
recognized by ORT several times for his work 
with the Jewish education and vocational 
training-focused organization. 
 Bob Aronson, Federation’s past 
CEO, points to Rosenthal and his 
wife Marta (Marty) as making 
significant contributions as com-
munity leaders and with Israel 
engagement. 
“They epitomize what Detroit 
is all about, what our community is all about,
” 
he says. “Ben has been an active volunteer 
and a leader in our community for basically 
his entire adult life. I’ve seen him grow up in 
the community over the years as one of our 
most steadfast and committed and creative 
leaders. He richly deserves this award.
” 
Beverly Liss, Federation’s 
immediate past president, 
says she’s learned a lot from 
Rosenthal, who she’s known for 
years through Federation and 
missions to Israel they chaired 
together. “I really saw Ben in 
action, I saw how incredibly sen-
sitive he was, how he was not always the one 

that talked the most, but he sure knew how 
to listen, and then he took what he learned 
and put it into action,
” she says. “I think he is 
enormously familiar with the Detroit Jewish 
community and all the agencies, and all the 
work and projects that have come through 
Federation, so he was able to put all of those 
skills to work as he became a foundation 
president.
”
She says she considers him a mentor, the 
kind of person ready to lend an ear and brain-
storm solutions. He’s well-deserving of such 
a prestigious award, she says, adding that in 
addition to being a community leader, a man 
devoted to his wife, daughters and grand-
children, he’s been a champion of women in 
leadership roles. “He’s a great golfer,
” she adds. 
“
And he’s just an overall good guy.
”

SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY
The Rosenthals have been deeply involved in 
the community, she adds. “[He and Marty] 
worked side by side,
” she says. “I was very 
impressed.
”
Though Ben Rosenthal’s family wasn’t 
involved in Federation growing up, they 
were very connected to the Jewish world, 
he says. His paternal grandfather was one of 
the founders of Detroit’s Congregation B’nai 
Moshe, and he and his three brothers grew 
up as members of Adat Shalom. He wore 
his Judaism on his sleeve, he recalls. As an 
adult, he got involved in Federation’s Junior 
Division, originally attending a lecture series, 
and then taking on leadership roles as a board 
member, executive committee member and 
then president. 
“Throughout my life, my Judaism has 
played an enormous part in who I am and 
continues to do so,
” Rosenthal says. “I attri-
bute that to my parents, my upbringing and 
my grandmothers and what they wanted 
to instill, which I only wish would be more 
prevalent in our community — helping each 
other. My father always said only Jews will 
help Jews.
”
Howard Neistein, Federation’s chief offi-
cer of strategic partnerships, has worked for 
Federation for close to 29 years, working 
closely with Ben and Marty. He 
says Ben Rosenthal’s service to 
the local and global Jewish com-
munities, which include serving 
as president of the United Jewish 
Foundation, leading a Miracle 
Mission of well over 1,000 and 

A Steadfast Leader

OUR COMMUNITY

Federation honors Benjamin F. Rosenthal 
with Butzel Award at annual meeting.

Bob 
Aronson

Beverly 
Liss

KAREN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Howard 
Neistein

Marty 
and Ben 
Rosenthal

