12 | NOVEMBER 3 • 2022

PURELY COMMENTARY

JEWISH VALUES IN ACTION from page 11

SAFEGUARDING OUR JEWISH FUTURE from page 11

ing Affinities Department,
which is focused on engaging
unaffiliated Jews within our
ranks and winning.
And while we always seek
to include more, our roster of
Federation and Foundation
leaders, both volunteer and pro-
fessional, is unprecedented in its
range of talent, experience and
dedication. We have the right
people in the right seats and our
bench has never been stronger.
Overall, the level of commu-
nity involvement and engage-
ment is truly extraordinary, in
both breadth and depth of par-
ticipation. The community tent
— across every demographic,
neighborhood and practice
of Judaism — has never been
broader or more welcoming.
Perhaps the ultimate testa-
ment to this can be found in the
ranks of NEXTGen Detroit.

Ten years ago, we reimagined
this department to meet what
was then an existential crisis.
Too many of our young people
were leaving Detroit, while
those who stayed found few
opportunities to connect with
Jewish life in a meaningful way.
Today, we’ve seen a complete
change in the landscape for
young adults in our city, a new
era for participation, leadership
and philanthropy.
The passion and commit-
ment of our NEXTGen Detroit
leaders is extraordinary and at
an all-time high.
All of this — and more —
adds up to what could be a
golden era for this Federation
and our Jewish community, a
time when we are stronger than
we have been in decades.
And you can feel it — in
our stature and respect across

Detroit and this country. It is
this profound relevance that has
fueled our fundraising success,
as well as powering our efforts
to lead the community forward.
On the other hand, the need
for a strong Federation — a gal-
vanizing central address for our
community — has never been
greater.
We recognize this in the chal-
lenges I’ve mentioned, and in
the face of rising antisemitism
and security concerns — which
we are addressing on a variety
of fronts.
A strong Federation is a
response to the times we live in,
which are a potential threat to
the cohesion and continuity of
Jewish life as we know it.
We are here because the
needs are great, but our resolve
and capacity to thrive is even
greater. As we say, we are here

for good.
I would emphasize one more
thing, and that is that we are
here together. Everything we
have achieved is the work of a
unified Jewish community. It is
the work of all of you.
This is something I hope you
will all remember in the coming
year: The history and legacy of
this great community is alive
in you — whenever you vol-
unteer your time or participate
in a program or support the
Campaign.
It is because of you and your
commitment that the strength
and richness of Jewish Detroit
will continue — unbroken —
long into the future.

Matthew B. Lester is president of the

Jewish Federation of Metropolitan

Detroit. These remarks were delivered at

Federation’s Annual Meeting, Oct. 13.

That begins with our
Federation and Foundation
reserves, to which we added
$750,000 last year, thanks to the
judicious use of our successful
campaign, as well an operating
budget surplus. Our combined
rainy day and emergency
reserves now stand at about $25
million, the highest amount in
more than 10 years. We need to
continue to increase this, but the
amount we’ve added in recent
years has been a very positive
and important trend and will
serve our community well in the
tough economic climate ahead.
This was also another stellar
year for the Centennial Fund,
our community’s central endow-
ment vehicle, which was special-
ly designed to secure our future.
Thanks to an incredible effort
by our volunteer and profes-
sional team, we grew this fund
by $16.4 million in lifetime and
testamentary gifts this past year
for a total of $265 million.

An essential part of that
effort is our Perpetual Annual
Campaign Endowments. I’m
thrilled to report that we have
significantly grown our PACE
funds by $5.8 million, for a
balance of close to $80 million.
That currently provides $4.5
million to the Annual Campaign
every year, which makes an
enormous difference in our abil-
ity to support our community.
I can’t say enough how
important PACE funds are for
the welfare of our community,
and I want to express my tre-
mendous gratitude to everyone
who has taken steps to ensure
that their support — and their
legacy — continue in perpetuity.
Another essential aspect of
this has been our effort to secure
and solidify our community
real estate, ensuring that our
properties remain valuable
and vital assets for the long-
term. Whether we’re talking
about the Frank Building for

Gesher Human Services, the
Fleischman Residence at JSL, the
Applebaum Campus and Kahn
Building, Tamarack Camps or
our Jewish day schools, resolv-
ing many of the open-ended
issues we’ve been dealing with in
past years allows our agencies to
focus on delivering services and
enriching Jewish lives.
And speaking of securing
our future, on the advice of
our illustrious past presidents,
Foundation worked hard to
review, modify and strengthen
our board governance to reduce
potential pitfalls and liabilities.
I hope this gives you a sense
of how much we’ve accom-
plished. You’ve heard the pow-
erful phrase: We are here today
because we were there yesterday.
I would add that — thanks to
strength of our United Jewish
Foundation — we will also be
here tomorrow.
And that is only possible
because of you, our leaders

and supporters. For that, on
behalf of the Federation and
Foundation, as well as the
community we serve, I want to
express our enormous gratitude;
without you, there would be no
Federation and Foundation.
I also want to take a moment
to acknowledge and thank the
Federation and Foundation pro-
fessional staff. Their talent, hard
work and incredible commit-
ment is the fuel that makes this
organization run, and we deeply
appreciate all they do. They are
led by a truly committed gifted
leader who is already MVP in
his second season, our Chief
Executive Officer Steve Ingber.

Dennis S. Bernard is president of the

United Jewish Foundation of Metropolitan

Detroit. He delivered these remarks Oct.

13 at Federation’s Annual Meeting, which

included the presentation of the Fred M.

Butzel Award for Distinguished Service,

Federation’s highest honor, to Benjamin

F. Rosenthal.