The late Detroit Pistons owner Bill Davidson helped create the Jewish charity Areivim -- a term that means "those who are responsible." In 2006, each of the dozen or so founders pledged to contribute $5 million each to promote Jewish living.
But Davidson died after contributing only $200,000, and now the charity, based in New York, is seeking the rest in a lawsuit filed in Oakland County Probate court. Named in the suit are representatives of the estate who are refusing to pay the charity the remaining $4,800,000 owed.
Bloomfield Hills attorney Henry Baskin, who filed the suit in December on behalf of the charity, and
Davidson's widow Karen Davidson, who wants the charity paid, said Davidson was deeply committed to Areivim, which planned to fund, among other things, charter schools in Brooklyn.
"Bill Davidson would honor this clearly unequivocal commitment," Karen Davidson said in a statement. "He was a man of his word."
Two representatives of the estate named as defendants in the suit,
Jonathan Aaron and Eric Garber, could not be reached for comment Tuesday. But according to their response filed last week, they notified the charity that "
your claim is disallowed as there is not supporting documentation to establish the claim." They also pointed out that, according to charity records, the "pledges would not be final until" 20 families had committed to the charity. The representatives estimated that there are currently only 13.
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