Above-Average Jen

U-M graduate student joins the cast of top-rated reality TV show.

the Conservative Congregation Beth Judea in. Long
Grove, Ill.) and how my parents would really like me
to end up with a Jewish guy.
"Then I held up a card with '52 percent' on it. I
said that stood for the intermarriage rate between
Jews and non-Jews. I said I didn't want that number
to go up any more so they should bring me on the
show."
What happened in the month between mailing
your application and video and being in front of

friends, but being the center of attention in front of
America is another thing."
- How did you keep up with your school work and
Ann Arbor
time missed from your job at Jewish Family
mong the contestants on the currently
Service's • Southfield and West Bloomfield offices?
running NBC-TV series Average Joe:
"Everybody has been so supportive — so helpful.
Adam Returns is 23-year-old Jennifer
JFS and U-M went out of their way to help me catch
Lifshitz, a graduate student in the
back up. My parents' main concern was that I will
University of Michigan School of Social Work's Sol
still graduate on time this May ... And I will."
Drachler Program in Jewish Communal Leadership.
[Jennifer was in California for a month for the
In her own distinctive, vivacious
selection process, pre-produc-
manner, Lifshitz shares how she made
. tion and the taping of the
her way from Ann Arbor to the show's
episodes.]
taping in Palm Springs, Calif., and her
What do your friends think
experiences once she arrived.
about all this?
At press time, only two of four
"All my friends love it.
episodes had aired, with Lifshitz con-
They think it's so cool. I'm the
tinuing on to the third week's competi-
first of my friends who has
tion. The dating series' winner will be
ever done anything like this."
the woman chosen by the show's
And your family back in
Jewish star, New York trading firm
Chicago?
partner Adam Mesh, 28.
• "It didn't go over very well
at first. My parents were not
After watching Adam lose out as a
amused, but now they're doing
contestant on last year's Average Joe,
good. They really like what
what prompted you to apply to be on
they've seen."
the show's sequel, with Adam return-
Do you have advice for oth-
ing as the star, set to choose a love
ers looking to do something
interest?
bold and exciting like trying
.
"I watched the first show and totally Aimee Silberblatt, 28, of West Bloomfield, Amy Zimmerman, 23, of Bloomfield Hills, Jennifer out for a TV show?
fell for Adam. I wanted to write him a
"You have to be pretty brave
Lifihitz, 23, of Chicago and Liz Greenbaum, 24, of New York watch the premiere of 'Average
letter but I heard he had a girlfriend.
and open and, if that's your
Joe: Adam Returns."
But when they announced he was
personality, go for it. I never,
going to have his own show, I sent in a
ever, ever have done anything
video."
10.7 million viewers on TV?
like this before. >3
"After I was told they liked my video, they had to
You certainly took a unique twist with your
Has being on TV been all you hoped it would be?
video, highlighting your Judaism. How do you
do a background check on me. Then I went to L.A.
"The whole experience has been a blast — so
think being Jewish may have led to your invitation
to find out whether or not I'd be on the show. And
much fun. People are starting to recognize me. I feel
to appear on the show?
then we started taping. That's the first time I met
like the girl who comes out of the bathroom with
Adam. Did you know he went to U-M for under-
"I would only like to be dating someone Jewish, so
toilet paper on her foot and everyone's staring at
•
grad?"
I used my Jewish communal education to get on the
me."
show. I started the video by holding up two cards.
Whatdiscoveries did you make about yourself
The first was a picture of my mom and dad. I said, 'I during the March 15 series premiere?
The final two episodes of Average Joe: Adam
bet you wonder what this has to do with being on
"You can't imagine what it's like until you're there.
Returns will air at 10 p.m. Mondays, March
the show?'
I really learned a lot about myself. I'm very outgoing
29 and April 5, on NBC-TV.
and I like to be the center of attention with my
"Then I talked about how my dad was a rabbi (of

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN
StaffWriter

A

.

❑

Scene Happenings

For college age through 30-something. Send infor-
mation to ahitsky@thejewishnews.com

March 28 Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. Hillel of Metro
Detroit and EMU Hillel tour and brunch at

Holocaust Memorial Center, Farmington Hills. Free.
RSVP: Karen Urman at hilleled@wayne.edu or
(313) 577-3459.

David Sherline, accompanist for JET. At JCC
West Bloomfield. $20. RSVP: Alaine Waldshan,
(248) 203-1486.

April 3 Saturday, 8:30 p.m. Federation YAD
event featuring wine, dessert and music by David
Appelman, founder of Appelmusic LLC and

April 7 Wednesday, 7 p.m. MSU Hillel Poker
Tournament, hosted by AEPi, East Lansing. No
entry fee. RSVP: Jeff Lazor, pd@msuhillel org