AUGUST 31 • 2023 | 25
that we really needed to move into the 21st
century, with a professional overseeing the
business aspects of the organization,” she
explained. “We interviewed several candi-
dates for director, but Susan really ‘got’ how
we operated, and she was extremely mul-
tifaceted. Hiring her made the biggest dif-
ference in how we ran our two thrift stores
[which later became one store Council
Re|Sale, currently located in Berkley] and
the important revenue they provided the
organization. Also, her ability to obtain
grants for us was huge.”
Herrmann also highlighted Gertner’s
deep empathy for others. “Because of her
background in social work, she is just a kind
and helpful person, which is so important
when new presidents and volunteers come to
NCJW
,
” she said.
When Gertner went for her interview at
NCJW
, people remembered her from early
on in her career as a Meals on Wheels case-
worker. “Honestly, it was really like coming
home; I’
d come full circle,
” said Gertner.
In her early years at NCJW
, Gertner intro-
duced important changes. One challenge was
streamlining meeting notifications for greater
efficiency. “Everything went by snail mail,
so if there were 15 meetings in a week with
10 people at each meeting, that would be a
lot of stamps and administration,
” explained
Gertner. She revamped the office structure to
include other staff, applied for and obtained
more grants, and put a publicity and mar-
keting system in place. Most of all, she has
provided the continuity between the last 11
presidents.
“Susan has forgotten more about NCJW
than anyone of us would ever know — her
memory is phenomenal,
”
explained current NCJW|MI
President Sallyjo Levine. “She
also has an amazing ability to
look at a situation and analyze
what is the best thing to do, and
she really listens when someone
talks, so she picks up nuances
others might miss.
”
Levine said that everyone
at NCJW
, both locally and
nationally, has tremendous
respect for Gertner. “We can’t
fail to succeed when we have
someone as strong as Susan alongside us. She
truly believes in what we do,
” she explained.
“Susan went to MSU, so bleeds green and
white, but her son Charlie went to U of M, so
she also bleeds maize and blue. The truth is,
however, that she actually bleeds green and
blue, the colors of NCJW
.
”
Like so many nonprofits, the pandem-
ic brought new challenges for Gertner
and NCJW to navigate. “But we made it
through COVID-19 without missing a
beat. We transformed our office to allow
everyone to work from home. I was able to
secure enough funds through grants and
loans to keep us financially stable, and to
continue to meet the needs of our commu-
nity,” Gertner said.
The demand for Meals on Wheels, staffed
by NCJW volunteers, doubled during the
pandemic and, due to staffing changes, for
months Gertner had to play a major role in
coordinating the program. She would work
from 6 a.m. to noon at Meals on Wheels
before doing her day job.
“I had to do it because we wanted to make
sure our participants had the meals they
needed,
” she said.
Gertner, a member of Temple Shir Shalom,
is very proud of the organization she serves.
“If NCJW sees a need in the community,
we research and find a way to do a project
to help. This need could be voter advocacy,
reproductive rights, helping low-income
children in Detroit get school supplies and
clothes, or finding a way to make our world
greener by finding a new use for plastic bags
by creating sleeping mats for the homeless,
”
she said.
Looking ahead, Gertner plans to contin-
ue encouraging the next generation to be
involved to ensure the continuation of the
important work of NCJW|MI.
She said she is continually impressed by
the amazing and dedicated volunteers and
wonderful staff at her organization. “
As for
me, I feel like I am making a difference in my
community, and not everyone can say that
about their job,
” she added.
To learn more and get involved in National Council
of Jewish Women, Michigan, go to ncjwmi.org.
Susan Gertner, center, cheers
for NCJW literacy volunteers
at a Pistons game in 2013.
Susan packs back-
packs for low-income
children in 2015.
Susan Gertner cooks
for the staff appreciation
breakfast in 2015.