Editor's Letter
Reverse The Flight!
A
s I reflected on the acceptance speech by
the winner of Detroit Jewry's highest com-
munal honor, I was struck by her not-so-
passing comment about our young adults who have
opted for other, hipper urban areas in search of a
career, a spouse or adventure. "We must involve
these 20- to 40-somethings — Generations X, Y
and one day Z — in the commu-
nity-building process because I
firmly believe that people sup-
port what they help create said
Penny Blumenstein, 2005 winner
of the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit-sponsored
Fred M. Butzel Award for distin-
Robert A. Sklar guished communal service and
Editor
leadership.
The Bloomfield Hills resident added, "While I
recognize that too many of our post-college age
children move to other places, many do stay and
others return to the mother ship years later. If we
have a strong community, they'll grow in numbers."
Her assessment captures exactly what we need to
do: nurture our Jewish identity as a community
and involve our young people to make where we
live the best that it can be. Rather than sit idly, we
must transform Metro Detroit into a viable place to
find gainful work and meet other young people.
We're foolish if we don't. We'd be risking our Jewish
future. We know this is a great community for set-
tled families to raise their children Jewish — but
you need to live here to enjoy the benefit.
We must treat the youthful flight to Chicago, New
York, Boston, Atlanta, Seattle and L.A. as a high pri-
ority. Some relocation is the natural order of things,
but Detroit seems to have experienced a dispropor-
tionate share. The reason essentially boils down to
limited opportunity — whether landing a job,.find-
ing a mate or making a Jewish connection. And I'm
terribly concerned.
It's not that we don't offer job, dating or commu-
nal opportunities. We do. But we may not have the
same abundance as, say, Chicago, nor do we pro-
mote the ones we have as well as we should.
The need to reach Out with more vigor to young
adults isn't lost on the Jewish Federation of
Metropolitan Detroit, our campus Jewish outreach
organizations out-state or the Detroit Jewish News.
We all share a common interest: to convince those
young adults who do stay or who are contemplating
a return that they can plug into a vibrant Jewish
community. We can't guarantee jobs or always excel
at matchmaking, but we can succeed at helping
these future leaders find Jewish fulfillment.
Still, we all can do better.
Michigan's poor economy helps fuel the flight,
which prevents us from regenerating a critical
mass of young adults to allow new relationships.
Federation engages young adults on a career path
and with leadership talent through its Young Adult
Division, Community Connections, Grosfeld
Leadership Group and Jewish Entrepreneurs
Network, but what about those.who are unem-
TN
October 20 2005
ployed? Federation must revive an idea it kicked
around a few years ago: creating a job corps to help
young professionals land jobs in their field so they
aren't forced to pull up their roots. If Federation
isn't at the forefront of securing the Jewish commu-
nity's still-maturing financial timber, who will be?
Hillel, Chabad, Machon and other programs on
our state campuses achieve some success in
attracting and energizing Jewish students. But their
influence on alumni often wanes over time.
We know this is a great
community for settled families
to raise their children Jewish
— but you need to live here
to enjoy the benefit.
The JN is engrossed in redesign and content
enrichment to widen its appeal to younger, less
affiliated, less involved Jews. But finding these
potential readers and potential activists isn't easy.
Nurturing future leaders is pivotal if we're going
to have a seamless passing of the leadership baton.
Seasoned young leaders in their 40s and early 50s
must set the bar for 20- and 30- somethings.
Having a model to emulate and a goal to reach is
always a plus.
Blumenstein gave sound advice that must echo if
we are to stem the rush outward. "We must plan
and act now for the future," she said, "by inspiring
young people with potential, giving them the
opportunity to learn, to grow and most of all, actu-
ally lead."
The most urgent need confronting Detroit Jewry
is reversal of the tide carrying so many young
adults elsewhere. Must we accept that Detroit will
never be as hip and opportunity rich as Chicago?
No! Led by Federation, and working with the larger
community and government leaders, we must
strive to make Detroit equally inviting not only for
young Jews, but other young adults. Federation
must help show the way. At stake is our pride and,
thus, our hope.
❑
Have we as a community been
overcome by the full force of
ci other cities' magnetism?
re
O. What are your ideas to keep
0 young adults here and bring
back those who have left?
▪
i-
z
E-mail:
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letters@thejewishnews.com
0
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