Looking Back
From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History
accessible at thejewishnews.com
70 | APRIL 4 • 2024
J
N
R
ecently, Harvey Bronstein contacted
the JN. He suggested that we might
want to revisit and acknowledge a
great Jewish Detroiter, one with a legacy that
we should always remember to honor: David
Hermelin. Bronstein is spot-on.
Simply stated, David Hermelin
(1936-2000) was one of the giants
of Jewish Detroit, a great leader, a
true mensch. He did indeed leave
a tremendous, indelible legacy.
So, what should I say about
Hermelin? On one hand, I knew
that finding research for this
column in the William Davidson
Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History would
be an easy task. Stories and reports about him
are in abundance in the Archive and appear on
nearly 4,500 pages. Many of these pages include
content about another great Jewish Detroit
leader, by the way: Doreen Hermelin, David’s
wife and partner since 1958.
On the other hand, the task of writing this
column is not that easy. Out of so many great
articles about Hermelin’s accomplishments,
which ones should I choose to write about?
Should I mention Hermelin’s business inter-
ests? He held leadership positions or was CEO
and/or board chair for numerous businesses.
Should I write about his vast contributions
to Jewish and non-Jewish organizations,
locally, nationally or globally? This includes
Congregation Shaarey Zedek in Detroit, the
Jewish Federation of Detroit and World ORT, as
well as the University of Michigan and Karmanos
Cancer Institute, to name just a very few.
And this brief list above says nothing about
the fantastic philanthropy of both David and
Doreen Hermelin. They helped raise, along
with their own substantial personal contri-
butions, millions of dollars for such causes
as the Hermelin Brain Tumor Center at the
Henry Ford Health system in Detroit; the
ORT Hermelin College of Engineering in
Netanya, Israel; the Hermelin Steps near the
southern wall of Temple Mount
in Jerusalem; and funding for
Camp Hermelin at their home
in Bingham Farms.
Of course, it would be remiss
of me if I did not mention
that Hermelin was appointed
Ambassador to Norway. His
close associate, President Bill
Clinton, appointed him in 1997. Sadly, he was
forced to resign when he needed brain surgery
in 1999. After a valiant battle with brain cancer,
Hermelin passed away on Nov. 22, 2000.
I could just steer you to the Dec. 1, 2000,
issue of the JN, which was devoted to the life of
David Hermelin. It’s a great read about him that
includes a wide range of comments and insights
from those who knew him. They write
about Hermelin’s vast range of interests, his
many talents and, most importantly, his
impact on the people he worked with in
Detroit and globally.
In the issue, helmed by JN Editor
Robert Sklar, writers noted that Hermelin
always kept his sense of humor. Michael
Steinhardt called Hermelin “a font of
amusement and wisdom.
” Bill Carroll
added: “Humor Helped Shape David.
”
The JN’s staff contributed to the issue.
Alan Hitsky noted that “The Magic in
David Wasn’t Sleight of Hand.
” Likewise,
Keri Guten Cohen wrote about Hermelin’s
tremendous charisma and ability to enlist sup-
porters for good causes, and quoted Rabbi Irwin
Groner: “David was a Pied Piper.
” David Sachs
wrote about the “boundless positive spirit” that
Hermelin carried into his battle with cancer.
Harry Kirsbaum noted President Clinton said
Hermelin “left the world a better place.
”
I’ll end with Max Fisher’s quote about
Hermelin: “He was one of the most beloved
men I have ever met … He was a great man.
”
Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives,
available for free at thejewishnews.com.
includes a wide range of comments and insights
tremendous charisma and ability to enlist sup-
Remembering a
GIANT of a Man
Mike Smith
Alene and
Graham Landau
Archivist Chair