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Federation agency. “He asked me 
to sit on a committee, which I did. 
It was one meeting, and then it 
was over, and I assumed that was 
it,
” he said.
Soon after, Mark reconnected 
with Naftaly, who told him the 
Federation was looking to hire 
a new chief financial officer and 
suggested he apply. Mark spent 
some time learning more about 
the Federation and “the complex 
ecosystem of the Jewish commu-
nity.
” He applied for the job and 
made it to the final interview. 
During his interview, he recalls 
someone said, “You know, you’re 
awful young for this position. We 
were kind of hoping for somebody 
with a little more gray hair.
” 
Mark was asked how long he 
planned to stay if hired. “I asked 
them how long they would want 
me to commit to and they said five 
years, and I responded, I can make 
that commitment,
” Mark said.
The next day, he received a 
job offer from Federation Chief 
Executive Officer Bob Aronson. 
Mark said, “He told me, ‘I know 
you think you’re just an accoun-
tant, but I see more in you. If you 
come with me, I’ll show you.
’
“
And that was my gateway to 
a deeper understanding of our 
Jewish community and the Jewish 
world,
” Mark said. “I planned on 
staying the five years I committed 
to. I ended up staying 12.
”
According to Mark, Bob 
Aronson delivered on his promise. 
Eventually, he became Bob’s num-
ber two at Federation. “Bob and 
I have a deep, rich relationship. 
We were in the trenches together. 
Bob is a visionary. It was amazing 
being his partner, and I am forever 
grateful.
”

A LOVE OF ISRAEL
Mark’s first trip to Israel was on 
his honeymoon in 1981. The next 
one came 15 years later.
In 1996, Bob Aronson told 
Mark that Federation wanted to 

take some doctors from 
Sinai Hospital to Israel and 
wanted him to help lead 
the mission. “That mission 
reignited the flame and my 
passion for Israel,
” he said.
“I love Israel and feel 
at home there. I feel I’m a 
part of it, and I wanted to 
contribute by introducing 
other people to all that 
Israel has to offer, which is 
the story of how I started 
taking leaders from Michigan to Israel and 
the creation of the Michigan Israel Business 

Accelerator.
”

Mark has been to Israel more 
than 75 times. He’s taken over 200 
leaders from Michigan including 
CEOs from every sector, state of 
Michigan legislators, and partic-
ipated in missions for Governors 
Granholm, Snyder and Whitmer, 
and for Detroit Mayor Mike 
Duggan. 
Dr. Conrad Giles, who’s been 
friends with Mark since his time 
at Federation, recalls a General Assembly in 
Jerusalem where they went to the U.S. ambassa-

continued on page 18

Evan Weiner, Gov. Rick Snyder, Mark Davidoff and Bobby 
Schostak get together for the Michigan Israel Business 
Accelerator. BELOW: Mark with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

OUR COMMUNITY
ON THE COVER

