Coming Home
Hometown roots
draw young adults
back to Metro
Detroit.
N
Stories by Robin Schwartz
Special to the Jewish News
28 November 16 • 2006
Median Age is 47 Years
Di
24% are Age 65 and Over
14% are Age 75 and Over
Age Group
90+
0.2%
85-89
•
2.1%
2.4%
2.1%
75-79
2.6%
2.5%
70-74
1.9%
65-69
2.7%
. 2.6%
60-64
2.4%
3.3%
3.6%
3.2%
50-54
4.5%
3.4%
45-49
4.2%
32%
40-44
3.9%
2.9%
35-39
2.6%
2.0%
30-34
2.7%
1.3%
25-29
13%
0.8%
20-24
0.8%
2.9%
15-19
1.8%
3.9%
10-14
4.6%
4.1%
5-9
0-4
0.7%
1.2%
80-84
55-59
of long ago, Marty Maddin, 29,
and his fiancee, Lindsey Rosen,
25, were part of a troubling
trend - young Jewish adults moving
away from the comfort of home, family
and friends to explore life outside of Metro
Detroit.
Maddin and Rosen grew up within half
a mile of each other in West Bloomfield;
both attended Michigan universities and,
after graduation, both decided to leave. It's
the kind of story that makes community
leaders cringe, especially after the recently
released 2005 Detroit Jewish Population
Study found a mere 2.1 percent of the
local Jewish community is made up of
people aged 25-34. Those findings make it
clear we have an aging population with an
out-migration of younger adults.
But Maddin and Rosen and other
couples like them are providing a new
statistical twist - they're among a group
of young Jewish adults returning to
Michigan.
"I always knew I was going to come
back at some point," Maddin says. "I can't
imagine raising my family without my
immediate family around. While a lot of
other cities are a lot of fun, especially in
your 20s, it just made sense to come back
sooner rather than later."
Although they practically grew up as
neighbors, Maddin and Rosen never met
until they connected in Chicago, where
they both ended up after college. The
young couple fell in love, got engaged and
made a conscious decision to return to
familiar territory. They now are settled in
Huntington Woods, where they're plan-
ning their wedding for July 2007.
"I think what's unique about Detroit is
the wonderful Jewish community - that
was important to both of us," Rosen said.
"The suburbs here rank with the sub-
urbs anywhere in this country:' added
Maddin. "So why not be where you grew
up?"
While that plan continues to take
shape, a number of Jewish 20- and 30-
somethings are finding their way back on
their own, like newly inducted YAD board
member Josh Levine, 28, and his wife,
Shayna, 28, of Huntington Woods. They
met while studying abroad in Israel and
initially moved to Atlanta, Josh's home-
town. But after spending four years there,
they decided to return to Shayna's home
base. She grew up in Bloomfield Hills and
is the daughter of Susan and Rabbi Harold
Loss of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield.
"A few years ago, I thought about mov-
ing home Shayna recalls, "but I didn't
think I'd even find a job."
Age Distribution-Detroit 2005
4.1%
3.2%
Males
6.0%
3.4%
2.1%
4.0%
Females
2.5%
2.0%
0.05116
2.0%
.
4.0%
6.0%
Source: Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
zations wracking their
brains. It's such a big
issue that Federation's
Young Adult Division
is in the process of
mobilizing a migra-
tion task force to try
to stem the tide of
young Jews leaving
the Detroit area. The
project is in the early
stages, but the goal
is clear: find a way to
inspire young people
to stay once they grad-
uate from college.
"After the popula-
tion study, the issue
of young Jewish
adults leaving Detroit
was undeniable:'
said YAD President
Jennifer Friedman of
Huntington Woods.
"There are several
Shayna and Josh Levine met in Israel and first lived in
issues we're looking at,
Atlanta, Josh's hometown.
including job oppor-
tunities, housing and
Tackling The Issue
outreach. We're thinking outside the box
That's a good question - one that
and looking into reaching young people
has leaders of the Jewish Federation of
at the university level, both undergradu-
Metropolitan Detroit, which commis-
ate and graduate, as well as getting young
sioned the 2005 demographic survey, as
adults excited about and involved in the
varied opportunities that YAD provides."
well as local synagogues and other organi-
Generating Jobs
It turns out she was wrong. Both Shayna
and Josh landed jobs with relatively
new, dynamic, Jewish-owned compa-
nies. Shayna is the director of a project
management group at ePrize, a thriving
Internet promotion agency in Pleasant
Ridge; Josh is a wealth and investment
manager for the Southfield-based invest-
ment boutique, Telemus Capital Partners.
"Professionally, we're in the perfect posi-
tions:' Shayna says.
"I'm thrilled that they're back and have
found a wonderful community to return
to',' said her father, Rabbi Loss. As a com-
munity, we have to work to create an envi-
ronment and send a message that not only
is this a wonderful place to raise families,
but it's also a community where young
people can find work, where they can feel
they have a future."
Loss' two other daughters Jennifer, 36,
and Talia, 26, are still living outside of
Michigan, one in New Jersey and one in
Chicago.
"I recognize that they have to find
their own future he continued, "but we
have to communicate to young people
that we want them back, we need them
back, and this community has opportu-
nity. Unfortunately, the message a lot of
them hear from their families at times is
`We love you, we want you home, but we
understand why you're not here.'
New opportunities are on the hori-
zon. In July, ePrize CEO Josh Linkner
announced plans to expand and hire 450
new employees by 2009. The company
currently employs about 230 people
locally and made nearly $30 million last
year. Another high-tech company, Internet
search engine giant, Google Inc., plans to