Bimonthly sessions for the 17
participants last year included a
Focus:HOPE Walk for Justice and
Racial Harmony, a bus tour of
Detroit and fund-raising.
In addition, each participant
becomes a mentor to a Detroit
resident, and all take part in a
community service activity, such
as the career day for kids at
Butzel.
Lisa Barson said her favorite
sessions was a discussion of how
the Middle East peace process
affects local Arab and Jewish
Americans.
"The discussion gave me hope
and inspired me as a Jew," said
Barson, 29. Active in the Jewish
community, she said she joined
NLP to learn more about
Detroit, noting that she had been
encouraged by friends who were
in the program the previous year.
A key element of NLP is an
extensive application and an ini-
tial interview with the Council
and Federation staff.
"If the person's goals for the
program match the program's
own goals, it is a success," said
Joanie Berger, senior staff associ-
ate of Community Outreach and
Education for Federation.
"Education and development of
leadership are the primary pur-
poses."
"From the beginning, NLP
works to connect one's passion
for social justice to his or her
Jewish identity," she said. Part of
that connection is a commitment to
tikkun olam (repairing the world).
The first year, NLP had 18 partici-
pants, the second 17. Program offi-
cials hope to recruit 15-20 this year.
The first New Leaders Project
applicants did not go through the
interview process. The second year,
however, the interview was standard,
led by one member of the advisory
committee and a staff member.
Mentoring was added the second year
to heighten the experience for partici-
pants, according to Berger.
Berger says the partnership
between the Jewish Federation and
the Jewish Community Council
expands the experience. Young lead-
ers meet people they might otherwise
not and now are able to share their
strong social action background with
the Jewish community.
Sugerman is looking for an organi-
zation in the Jewish community.
Mendel, already heavily involved, is

7/10
1998

68

Photo by Daniel Lippitt

•

Left: Joanie Berger is the Federation professional who co-
directs the New Leaders Project.

Be‘pw: Jeffrey Michaelson shows his profession at a New
Leaders Project-planned career day May 14.

i4 ":6:t ktt

Above: New Leaders
Project participants
joined the Focus: HOPE
Walkathon last October.

NLP participants, at their July 1997 retreat, engage in group games at Butzel Conference Center.

interested in working
with Detroit's schools
and redevelopment.
A weekend retreat,
the first scheduled
event for NLP partici-
pants, set the tone for
both.
"The retreat was a
wonderful team-build-
ing exercise and an
incredible bonding
experience," Sugerman
said. "There is nobody
in my group that I
would not call socially
and/or politically."
Mendel agrees: "This is
a cohesive group —
there because they want
to help." ❑