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