The Scene

Heading Downtown

The Young Friends of Woodward
try to make suburban dreams of a vibrant city a reality.

H

ometimes, it pays to read The
Jewish News
at least
according to Ian Burnstein.
Because that's how he linked
up with old Cranbrook buddy J.J.
Modell to form the Young Friends of
Woodward.
In college, Burnstein, 27, now a
lawyer, was active with Hillel and vol-
unteer work, but in law school he
couldn't find the time. "I made a
promise to myself that once I finished
law school I would [do volunteer
work] again," he says.
Then along came an Oct. 25, 1996
article about J.J. Modell, 25, a finan-
cial consultant for Smith Barney in
Southfield, who became involved with
the nonprofit Friends of Woodward,
which strives to revive Woodward
Avenue and turn it into a vibrant
business district.
Burnstein called Modell, and
they got together that weekend.
"We were so excited, bouncing off
the wall, we wanted to get some-
thing going," Burnstein says.
They called friends, compiled a
mailing list of 30 and, within a
week, 50 people gathered to dis-
cuss ideas about Detroit. The cur-
rent board of directors includes
Gershon Askenazy, Jacqui Bell,
Michelle Fields, David Kreis,
Stacey Levine, Craig Perlmutter,
Rachel Rubenfaer and Jason
Wagner.
They're called the Young Friends
of Woodward and have been meet-
ing weekly for the last few months.
The goal is to "do great things for
the city and bring friends in who
wouldn't do anything [down-
town]," Burnstein says.
Why Detroit? With the
momentum generated by talk of
new stadiums, casinos and a mayor
backed by suburbanites and city
dwellers alike, Burnstein says,
"This could be the time to have
the New York, the Chicago that
friends from college always had —

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H-„

shop, play, dinner, walk around."
For Modell, it's a family thing. His
relatives have always been active in the
city, and the young entrepreneur owns
part of a coffee and bagel business
downtown.
"They all grew up in Detroit," he
says. His uncle, Steven Reifman, an
inspiration for Modell, has been trying
to revive the city for a long time. He
always told Modell: "If you don't care
about where you live, then just move."
The group has already hosted a
blanket drive, collecting more than
100 blankets for a homeless shelter in
the Cass Corridor, and started a men-
tor program involving 15 volunteers.
Its biggest fund-raiser to date will be
Friday, Oct. 17, 8 p.m., at the Magic
Stick.
Currently a largely Jewish member-
ship, the Young Friends want to

expand to a broader base. Group
members want to establish a scholar-
ship fund for kids in city schools,
probably focusing on Murray Wright
School. They want to expand the
mentorship program from 15 volun-
teers to 50.
And the group has already agreed
to teach kids how to use the comput-
ers in a new lab set up by Volunteers
of America.
"Anyone who has an interest in the
city, we have the means to open
doors," Modell says. Individual annual
membership costs $25.
With live entertainment, pool
tables and bowling alleys at the eclec-
tic Magic Stick, on Woodward near
Warren, Modell and Burnstein are
hoping the Oct. 17 event will attract
young adults, ages 18-35, who are
interested in helping out downtown.

T-shirts with the Young Friends logo
will be given out as well as door
prizes. They're hoping to fill the place.
"We had a bar night at the Blue
Moon on Woodward. It was a rainy,
spring night, and we packed the place,
120-150 people," Modell recalls.
Considering that they only sent out
60 invitations a week before the event,
they were more than pleased.
"It was a lot of fun. Everyone was
like, 'This is cool, we didn't know
about this place,'"' Modell recalls.
"We're grass roots, young, have a
lot of energy, excitement — we want
to do a good thing for the city,"
Burnstein says.

❑

For information about the Oct. 1/
Magic Stick event, call (313) 438-
0261,

Some young
friends of Detroit:
Craig Perlmutter,
Jacqui Bell, J.J.
Modell, Ian
Burnstein, Rachel
Rubenfaer and
David Kreis.

Photo by Bill Hansen

LYNNE MEREDITH COHN
Staff Writer

10/3
1997

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