NOVEMBER 9 • 2023 | 15
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Berger is a member of
Temple Israel, but he “grew up
at Beth Shalom. That’s where
I went to religious school,
where I had my bar mitzvah
and where I married my wife,
Debbie,” he said.
His wife was one of the
people instrumental in get-
ting him involved with Jewish
communal life. Both he and
Debbie are alumni of the
National Young Leadership
Cabinet.
“When I moved back to
Michigan and met Debbie,
she was very involved in the
Young Adult Division [now
NEXTGen] of Federation,” he
said. “She sparked in me the
desire to start meeting people
in the Jewish community and
getting involved.”
Berger found that most of
the committees he was inter-
ested in were on the United
Jewish Foundation side.
Eventually, he joined the Real
Estate Committee and eventu-
ally rose to be its chair. “With
my background, it was a nat-
ural fit for me,” he said. “Over
the years, I’ve been involved
in discussions surrounding
Federation’s real estate and
working to professionalize its
management.”
Berger went on the first
Grosfeld Leadership Mission
with Federation. “I met so
many people on that trip,” he
said, “including Matt Lester
and Scott Kaufman, former
Federation CEO — people who
were dedicated and involved
with our Jewish community. “
Because of the Intifada, that
mission was unable to go to
Israel. Instead, the mission
went to Kiev, Ukraine, and
Warsaw and Krakow in Poland,
and then Auschwitz. “It was
a meaningful discovery of
Eastern European Jewry. It was
also a leaping off point for me
to get more involved with the
people I met on the mission.
We ended up doing a lot of
good work in the community
together,” he said.
Berger became involved in
Federation’s Israel Overseas
and Partnership Committee
and did eventually make it to
Israel. He’s been there around
14 times. His most recent trip
to Israel was with Gary Torgow
where he talks about a particu-
lar moment they shared.
“Gary is an incredibly
insightful teacher of so much
about what it is to be Jewish,”
Berger said. “He took me
to the sunrise service at the
Kotel, where there is a pro-
found moment of silence
before the prayers for the day
begin. We laid tefillin, which
is not something I normally
do. It was a very impactful
experience.”
Like Gary, Berger’s Jewish
values were learned from fam-
ily. “My parents, Stanley and
Phyllis Berger, have always
given back,” he said. “The way
my parents described it is you
want to be a farmer, not a
miner. Being a farmer means
constantly giving back to the
earth and always replenishing
it. As a miner, you take but
never give back.
“Our community has to
be replenished by the people
who’ve been lucky enough to
reap the benefits of that com-
munity,” he added. “I feel like
I’m one of those people.”
Berger and his wife, Debbie,
live in Birmingham. Their
three children, Sam, Jeremy
and Victor, are grown and
live out of state. The Bergers,
now enjoying their empty
nest, “find opportunities to go
spend time with each of them
where they are.”
The Bergers are also avid
wine collectors. “One of the
ways we like to give back is
to donate incredible wine
dinners to get auctioned off,”
Berger said. “The winning
bidder and seven guests join
me and Debbie where a pri-
“OUR COMMUNITY HAS TO BE
REPLENISHED BY THE PEOPLE
WHO’VE BEEN LUCKY ENOUGH
TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF
THAT COMMUNITY … I FEEL LIKE
I’M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE.”
— MICHAEL BERGER
vate chef puts together an
amazing menu and we pair all
the wines. These dinners have
raised a lot of money for char-
ities around town.”
FEDERATION AND
FOUNDATION WORKING
TOGETHER
Torgow and Berger have known
each other for many years.
“We’re getting to know each
other better now, and we’re
spending a lot of time together
talking about how we can make
an impact and continue the
good work that Matt Lester and
Dennis Bernard have done in
the community,
” Berger said.
Torgow said he looks forward
to working with Federation
Michael Berger
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