FIFTY--FIRST

ANNUAL MEETING

1 __[5___ 11.:.1 The of Greater Houston The Jubilee Year of the Jewish Houston, the Jewish Federation has Letter to the Federation of Greater Houston has entered a new phase in its relationship found us not only remembering the with its Project Renewal neighborhood accomplishments of the past, but ac­ in , Yoseftal. Now that we are no Community tively planning for a bright Jewish longer actively raising funds for capital future in our own community and for projects, our relationship is concen­ Jewry around the world. trating on "people-to-people" activities, As we celebrated our 50th Anniver­ sharing expertise, and continuing sary, we paid tribute to our leaders needed social programs. whose foresight made Houston into Next year, Israel will celebrate its the vibrant Jewish community it is 40th year of existence. We can take real today. We are truly fortunate that this pride in our record of support for community continues to produce Israel's ongoing and necessary social ser­ such leadership. vices: absorbing immigrants, aiding the The 1987 United Jewish Campaign, sick and elderly, providing a second swimming against the tide of Houston's chance for troubled youth, fostering economic realities, was able to achieve Israel's agricultural "miracles". $7.3 million in pledges, a total which The trickle of Jewish emigration from reflects an outstanding effort by cam­ the Soviet Union is slowly increasing. paign volunteers. The Soviet regimes declared policy of Our recently-completed Demographic "glasnost:' openness, has given the Study, a collection of detailed data refusenik community a glimmer of about our community, will permit the hope. It is our responsibility to answer Federation and the Jewish community this hope by keeping the issue high on as a whole to make better and more the agenda in dialogue between informed decisions that will affect American and Soviet leaders. services and programs in the greater It is because we have worked together Houston area. hundreds of dedicated volunteers, the Reflecting the Federation's role Federation's professional and clerical as a coordinator and facilitator in staff, and the leadership of our com- the Jewish community, the Board munal agencies that we have been of Trustees recently established a able to achieve so much. We are Relations Committee which grateful for these efforts. In the year will work with the leadership of area ahead, may our goals be even higher congregations on issues of common and may we achieve even more! interest. This new initiative will supple­ ment our ongoing efforts to enhance Harold Raizes our support for and cooperation with President Houston's many fine Jewish social service agencies. Hans Mayer Looking beyond the confines of Executive Director presented a series of sessions for prin­ Fiftieth Anniversary cipals and supervisors of Jewish schools Highlights • The Jewish Federation celebrated 50 designed to improve their skills in years of service to the Houston Jewish working with teachers. This was the community with a week of activities of the Year first such regional conference hosted h culminating in a Golden Jubilee Gala, the Bureau in Houston. December 11, 1986. The Gala featured • A Jewish Professionals Institute was a salute to all past presidents and established to provide courses with executive directors and a speech by Jewish content on a regular basis for former Speaker of the U.S. House of staff of Houston Jewish agencies. Representatives, Thomas P. "TiP" • A consultant provided by the World O'Neill, Jr.; it attracted about 1500 Zionist Organization Department of people. Education and Culture was engaged • A major gifts dinner for the United by the Bureau for one day per week JeWish Campaign that same evening, to teach about the Hebrew language featuring Tip O'Neill, was attended by and Israel. nearly 200 people. • The "Celebration of Jewish Ufe in Houston" included publication of a commemorative book chronicling 50 Community Relations Committee years of Federation activity and • The Safam concert on behalf of achievements. Soviet Jewry, held on Dec. 7, 1986, • The Gala also marked the premiere of attracted over 1300 people. The event "Celebrate! Jewish Ufe in Houston;' a was co-sponsored by over thirty videotaped presentation about the organizations and congregations. Jewish community of Houston today. • Participants in the 1987 Business & Professional Mission to Israel, among them Congressmen Tom Delay and Mac Sweeney, will spend ten days on : Allocations specially designed tour and will meet • Federation's Board of Trustees initiated with Israeli political, civic and a program of modified budgeting for all economic leaders. beneficiary agencies as a response to a • The second annual six-part Leadersh United Jewish Campaign affected by Seminar on the Middle East examined Houston's current economic downturn. different aspects of Middle Eastern • The Allocations Committee imple­ politics. Guest speakers included Mero mented the Unifonn Family Income Benvenisti, Ze:ev Chafets, Bernard Le" Scale, used by beneficiary day schools and Steven Spiegel. to standardize the amount of financial • Participants in the Community aid for which families are eligible. Relations Committee Hispanic-Jewish • Over 7 committees, composed of 150 Leadership Dialogue attended a volunteers, took part in the annual mariachi Mass and an interfaith Sedel budget and allocations process. on behalf of Soviet Jewry. • Jewish community leaders met, und" CRC auspices, with such public figure Bureau of Jewish Education as Congressmen Mike Andrews, Bill • 1987 Pilgrimage is the largest ever: Archer, Mickey Leland and Mac Sween 82 participants from seven area and labor activist Cesar Chavez. congregations. • The CRC helped to coordinate a • The Leadership Conference on growing number of trips by Houstonia Major Issues in Jewish Education, a "first" to the Soviet Union to visit and for Houston, brought together lay encourage Jewish refuseniks. leaders from all segments of the Jewish community for 15 hours of intensive discussions on planning for The Endowment Fund Jewish education. • In the past year, the Endowment • The Southwest Staff Development Fund of the Jewish Community of Conference, co-sponsored by the Bureau Houston has achieved a major increa, of Jewish Education, the Jewish in contributed assets, as well as Educators Council and Jewish Educa­ substantially increasing its number of tion Service of , individual Supporting Foundations, Philanthropic Funds and Restricted the help of the Morris and Frieda Wolf Funds. Foundation, will enlarge its Senior • Two Endownment Fund seminars on Adult Day Care program. the changes in the tax laws, sponsored by many of the Jewish Federation beneficiary agencies, were successful and United Jewish Campaign well attended. • More than 800 volunteers helped • The Endowment Fund set new highs raise a total of $7,300,000 for the 1987 for both the number" of allocations and campaign, despite Houston's current the sum of those funds distributed to depressed economy. the Jewish Federation and its • Parlor meetings for major gift divi­ beneficiary agencies in the past year. sions with guest speakers Alan "Ace' • Several committees of the Endow­ Greenberg and Maurice Hatchwell ment Fund, including the Investment, Toledano raised over $3-million. Development and Professional Educa­ • A new Young Professionals Division tion Committees, were actively engaged for singles ages 21-35 provided its own in establishing important programs and programming as well as sharing several operating procedures. educational events with the Young Leadership Division. Outreach • The Physicians Division held a major • West Houston Jewish Educaton Series gifts event featuring comedian Henny sponsored by the Federation, the Bureau Youngman; 110 attended. of Jewish Education, the Jewish • The UJC made a special effort for Community Center/West Houston, and outreach/new gifts during Super the West Houston Jewish Presidents Sunday/Super Week. The annual Council offered a variety of courses of phone-a-thon raised more than Jewish interest. $600,000. • Coffees in West Houston provided • Women's Division Leadership Skills residents with a chance to meet with Workshops provided useful information Federation leadership on an informal and a chance to meet other community basis. leaders. Over 50 women took part. • North Houston, West Houston, and the Bay Area hosted noted actress Other Rosina Fernhoff, who presented one of • A council of presidents of Houston her thought-provoking one-woman Jewish women's organizations was plays in each community. reconvened under the auspices of the Women's Division. Planning • The Walk for Israel, revived after a • Federation's 1986 Demographic Survey two-year hiatus, attracted over 500 was completed; it presented detailed people to raise money for Houston's data about the Houston Jewish Project Renewal neighborhood, YoseftaL community that will aid community This was the first time that three planning for the future. organizations - the Bureau of Jewish • Two beneficiary agencies, B'nai B'rith Education, the Jewish Community Hillel in Houston, and Seven Acres Center, and Houston B'nai B'rith Jewish Geriatric Center, worked with Hillel - coordinated the event. Federation's Planning Committee to • The Federation's Board of Trustees expand their growing programs. Hillel initiated a Synagogue Relations Com­ will establish a permanent home to mittee which will work with leaders of serve all of Houston's college and area congregations on issues of common graduate students; Seven Acres, with interest. Introduction Preliminary Conclusions Demographic The Board of Trustees of the Jewish Preliminary reviews of the data Federation in 1984 appointed a commit­ indicate a number of areas of interest to Survey tee to plan and develop a demographic be explored further. The large percen­ survey of the Jewish population of the tage of respondents unaffiliated with Greater Houston area. A comprehensive congregations and Jewish organizations, study was proposed because of signifi­ as well as those who have not given to cant growth and other changes observed the United Jewish Campaign, points in Houston's Jewish community since out a need for outreach programming. a previous survey in 1975. The purpose The large number of Jewish singles of this new study was to provide an could indicate the necessity to develop organized and rational method to and expand social and cultural programs discover the needs of in greater for them. The growth of Jewish popula­ Houston and to help Federation, tion in West Houston will require a Jewish social service agencies and new look at the development of design appropriate responses approriate programs to serve that area of to those needs. the city. These and other issues will be The Board of Trustees contracted considered and examined for further with Telesurveys of Texas, a Houston action by Federation's Planning social research firm, to conduct the Committee and the Board of Trustees. Demographic Study. Dr. Bruce Phillips, Associate Professor of Jewish Communal Studies at Hebrew Union College­ U sing the Data Jewish Institute of Religion, Los The Federation conducted the Angeles, served as a research consultant Demographic Study to provide data for for Telesurveys. His expertise includes more informed planning to meet the work on five previous Jewish community Jewish community's needs. This data demographic surveys. has been compiled and is available on computer at the Federation; information Methodology from the Study has already been shared Jewish households in the Houston with several agencies, synagogues and metropolitan area were identified by organizations. Those who are interested telephone through random-digit dialing in obtaining data from the Study and the use of a short screening should contact Federation. questionnaire. Between March and June The Study is a milestone for our of 1986 the actual survey was ad­ community, because it offers an oppor­ ministered in a telephone interview tunity to analyze ourselves and the with one adult member of each of effects of the tremendous growth in these households. Interviews were con­ Houston over the last ten years. The ducted in Harris County and con­ broad numbers presented in this tiguous areas of Montgomery, Annual Report provide some overall Galveston, Brazoria, Fort Bend and highlights. Detailed publications, Waller Counties. describing specific characteristics of the The entire community has been Jewish community, will be released in deeply involved in the Demographic the coming year. In addition, the Study - as volunteers serving on the Federation is currently conducting Demographic Study Committee and as surveys of four major Jewish population interview subjects - and the Federation areas: West Houston, North Houston, believes it important to share these Fort Bend County and the Bay Area. preliminary results with the greater Through these efforts, we will be Houston Jewish community before able to provide a more detailed portrait official publication of the final reports. of the Jewish community of Greater Houston. Jewish Population The Jewish population of the Houston metropolitan area for early 1986 is estimated at 45,000 persons. Age of household members

below 6 _~i~i$~~~~~"

6-17 _;lf~~%._

18-49

50-64

65-up

Education

PhD, JD or MD

Postgraduate work or degree

Undergraduate work or degree

High school diploma or less

Place of birth

Houston

Elsewhere in Texas

United States (except Texas)

Outside of

Year arrived in Houston

1976-1985

1966-1975

Before 1966 (not native)

Native Houstonian Zipcode map

Central City (77004, OS, 06, 07,08,09,21,27,30,54,98): 3,550 North Houston (77018, 38, 64, 66, 69, 70, 88, 90, 91, 92, 77365, 73, 79, 80, 81, 88, 77429): 3,250 Memorial (77024, 56, 57, 63): 3,350 West Houston (77041, 42, 43, 55, 72, 77, 79, 80, 82,83,84, 77449, 50): 8,200 Southwest Houston (77025, 31, 35,36,71,74,81,96,99,77401,59,77,78,79): 21,500 Balance in Harris County: 2,650 Balance in contiguous counties: 2,500 Religious affiliation

Orthodox

Conservative

Reform

Other responses

Selected religious practices

Participate in Passover Seder

Light Chanukah candles

Don't work on Yom Kippur

Have mezzuzah on door

Light Sabbath candles

Buy only kosher food

Don't ride on Sabbath

Other interesting £acts Nearly 9 out of 10 of those surveyed contributed to some charitable organiza­ tion; nearly half of those questioned gave to the Jewish Federation's United Jewish Campaign, and 57% of all respondents gave to the United Way. Nearly one of every five respondents (18.5%) volunteer on behalf of a Jewish organization; nearly one in six (15.5%) volunteer for both Jewish and non-Jewish organizations. The annual United Jewish Campaign world and in IsraeL A list of these United Jewish raises the dollars needed for the beneficiaries appears on the following Jewish Federation to fund its many page. beneficiary agencies and services. In these difficult economic condi­ Campaign Through the Federation's allocations tions, Houston can take pride in its process, campaign proceeds are 1987 Campaign achievement, which distributed to over 45 agencies in totalled $7,300,000 in pledges. Houston, nationally, throughout the

This year marks a major change in day in Yoseftal, helping in community Project the Project Renewal partnership projects and enjoying the warm between Houston and Yoseftal, at one hospitality of families there. All Renewal time a slum neighborhood in the city Houstonians who visit Israel are of Petach Tikva. For five years, Houston encouraged to see Yoseftal. was involved in a fundraising campaign The partnership has made a visible to aid in the physical and social difference: through the construction of revitalization of that community. Over service facilities, neighborhood $35 million was raised for YoseftaL beautification, social programs, and The relationship extends beyond most of all the renewed pride of the fundraising. Leadership from Houston residents in their community. participates in budgeting and planning Although the fundraising period conducted by the Yoseftal Residents' officially ended in the summer of 1986, CounciL Yoseftalteens have come to the relationship continues. People-to­ Houston as camp counselors; every year, people programs provide an ongoing Houston teenagers on the Bmeau of link between our two communities. Jewish Education's Pilgrimage spend a 1987,1988 ALLOCATIONS TO BENEFICIARIES 1987,1988 (as approved by the Board of Trustees, May 28, 1987) Allocations to Local and Regional Beneficiaries Allocation B'nai B'rith Youth Organization $ 13,500 B'nai B'rith Hillel Foundations: Beneficiaries Texas A&M University 11,000 University of Houston/RicelTMC 46,850 University of Texas, Austin 18,900 Bureau of Jewish Education 165,970 Bureau of Jewish Education - Scholarships 49,000 House, Austin 4,500 Community Relations Committee of the Jewish Federation 171,069 The Hebrew Academy 217,672 Houston Metropolitan Ministries 8,188 1. Weiner Jewish Secondary School 79,887 Irvin M. Shlenker School 32,041 Jewish· Federation Chaplaincy Office 50,612 823,698 Jewish Family Service: Refugee Advisory Committee 16,353 Emergency and Supplemental Financial Aid Grants 36,000 Financial Aid Administrative Allocation 12,000 Jewish Federation Administration/Campaign 843,653 Kashruth Supervision at the Jewish Community Center 6,300 Seven Acres Jewish Geriatric Center General Operations, including Day Health Care Program 184,061 Meals-on-Wheels 14,761 Torah Day School 104,966 University of Houston Hebraic Studies 3,904 William S. Malev Day School & Beth Hayeled 59,950 (Southwest Zionist Youth Commission) 7,000

National & Non-Local Beneficiaries America-Israel Cultural Foundation 1,200 American Academic Association for Peace in the Middle East 500 American Jewish Committee 7,500 1,750 Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith 7,500 Association of Jewish Family and Children's Agencies 1,700 B'nai B'rith National Youth Service Appeal 3,000 Central Fund for Traditional Institutions 4,500 Council of Jewish Federations 78,225 HIAS (Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society) 13,000 Hadassah Medical Organization 6,000 Hebrew Union College School of Jewish Communal Service 1,400 JWB 19,000 Jewish Children's Regional Service 5,000 Jewish Education Service of North America 9,522 Jewish Labor Committees 1,800 Jewish Telegraphic Agency 5,000 Jewish War Veterans 1,000 Joint Cultural Appeal 9,000 Large City Budgeting Conference 2,410 National Conference on Soviet Jewry 5,500 National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council 14,715 North American Jewish Students Appeal 500 Synagogue Council of America 200 Zionist Organization of America 4,000

Overseas Allocations: The $3,716,280 1986-87 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD Harold Raizes ...... President Don Aron ...... Vice-President Buster Feldman ...... Vice-President Samnne Kosberg ...... Vice-President Gilbert Baker ...... , .. , ...... ' .. " ...... Secretary David Mincberg ... , , .. , . , . , ... , .. , . , .... , ... , .... , , . , .. Assistant Secretary Ann Kaufman, . , , .. , , . , .... , , , . , . , , , .... , ... , ... , , .... , , , . , .... Treasurer

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

Lynne Aronoff Cathy Mincberg Nancy Beren David Mitzner Denis Bmham Shaul Osadchey Daniel Brener, M.D. Jerry Paine wrmine Brown Eta Pamnsky *Seymour "Slugger" Cohen Ron Pamnsky Scott Davis Rabbi Joseph Radinsky Ted Dinerstein *Gemld Rauch Honey Donsky Hershel Rich Helen Dow Hilda Rich Marcia Elefant Russ Robinson *Harold Falik Sheldon Rubenfeld, M.D. 1()m Falik *R. Alan Rudy Bernard Farfel, M.D. Suzanne Sachnowitz Marty Fein ]. Victor Samuels Theba Feldman Helen Schaffer, M.D. Sam Feldt Bertha Alyce Segall Al Fridkin Bubba Silberstein Marshall Frumin, M.D. Cathy Steinberg Gilbert Gertner Henry Spim Mildred Gertner *]oel Spim William J. Goldberg *Adolph Susholtz Willy Goldberg David R. Toomim Harold Goldstein Dan Trachtenberg Marc Grossberg Ellen Tmchtenberg *Noel Gmubart Norma Trusch *M, Robert Hecht Harold Turboff Siegmund Izakson Carl Waldman Irvin Kaplan Linda Walter Joe Kaplan Shirley Warshaw Linda Kashar Leon Weiner *Col. Albert Kaufman Sandra Weiner *Stephen Kaufman Sanford Weiner Joe Kornfeld *Sol Weiner *]. Livingston Kosberg *Bernard Weingarten *A.L Lack Dolores Wilkenfeld Robert Landauer Joe Williams David Lerman *M.S. "Sonny" Williams H, Fred Levine *Avrohm Wisenberg *Milton Levit Melvyn Wolff Marcia Weiss Levy Fred Zeidman Miriam Mendell Bob Zinn

*past presidents COMMITTEE CHAIRS Admissions and Planning ...... Ann Kaufman Aliyah ...... Robert Zurawin, M.D. Allocations ...... David Mincberg Audit ...... Jerry Paine Bureau of Jewish Education ...... Lorraine Brown Campaign Cabinet: General Campaign ...... Gilbert Gertner Project Renewal ...... Ted Dinerstein Women's Division ...... Linda Kashar Cash Collections ...... Bill Dinerstein & Larry Sondock Chaplaincy ...... Shirley Warshaw & Selma Leff Community Relations ...... Joseph Kornfeld Demographic Study ...... J. Victor Samuels & Cathy Mincberg Endowment Fund ...... Joel Spira Investment Advisory ...... Don Aron Leadership Development Program ...... Gerald & Sherry Merfish ...... & Carolyn Mintz Nominations ...... Noel Graubart PROFESSIONAL STAFF Hans Mayer ...... Executive Director Richard Jacobs ...... Associate Executive Director

Arthur Abramson, Ph.D...... Community Relations Director Marion Bernstein, ..... , ...... Public Relations/Special Projects Jonathan Biatch ...... Budget Director Linda Burger ...... Women's Division Director Shirley Gluckman ...... Endowment Director Suzanne Jacobson ...... Assistant Campaign Director Elaine Kellerman ...... Assistant Bureau of Jewish Education Director Gary Kornblith ...... Assistant Community Relations Director Rabbi Ted Sanders ...... Chaplaincy Director Jeff Sokoloff ...... Campaign Staff Associate Carol Topek ...... , ...... Goldberg B'nai B'rith Towers Director Rabbi Arthur Vernon , ...... Bureau of Jewish Education Director Gary Weinstein ...... ,.,., ...... , .. , ...... Campaign Director *Aileen Zarin .. , ... Bureau of Jewish Education Secondary Education Coordinator ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF Arnold Sachs ...... , ...... Data Processing & Facilities Coordinator Libby Soffar ... , ...... , ...... Office Coordinator Jan Wise ...... Bookkeeping and Accounting CLERICAL & SUPPORT STAFF *Sylvia Berner Jerri Doctor Pearl Marcus Vivian Coggan Dorothy Ellis *Mae Odinov Audrey Cohen Eleanor Grefe Theda Taschinger Terri Dehn Lois Kaplan *Shirley Tracy

*Indicates less than full-time