1\71 +- i N Far left: Rabbi Morris with youth honorees Cara Kleiman, 18, Hallie Platt, 17, and Vicki Beneson, 17, along with Dr. Larry Brown and President Barry Eisenberg, all of Southfield, at last month's YIS dinner. Raffi Levi, 11, Jonny Korman, 11, and Andrew Korman, 9, all of Southfield, get ready for outdoor fun in their neighborhood. when his youngest child, Joseph, then 3, was diagnosed with a life-threatening medical condition requiring surgery. The family was visiting in Israel at the time. His wife Michal came home with Joseph immediately, and Dr. Korman and his older three boys followed. "When we landed in Detroit, there were three women from our shul waiting at the airport in two cars," Dr. Korman said, "one to take the boys home and to unpack and the other to take me straight to the hospi- tal:' He arrived 15 minutes before his son's surgery. Joseph now is healthy. Dr. Korman has never forgotten the kindness. "Someone did our laundry; they took our other sons to the orthodontist and to tennis lessons and brought meals to the hospital and to our home he said. "They also set up a prayer group. The intensity of the neighborhood makes us like family." Dr. Korman now wants to introduce that family to others. He had already formed a Young Family Social Committee at the synagogue. Next he started and heads an Outreach Committee to welcome every- one, but with a focus on younger families. He joined the Fischmans in planning the Shabbaton, along with the synagogue's Rabbi Yechiel Morris and other YIS mem- bers Rabbi Eric and Karynne Naftolin Grossman, all of Southfield. Destination Southfield mented. "We will provide job assistance to any- one who moves here Dr. Korman said. "Our shul is full of lawyers and doctors and people who know people:" A list of job opportunities in the area will be dis- tributed at the Shabbaton, as will a listing of available homes, prepared by area real estate agents. "When you move from another state you don't have to deal with selling a home in Michigan — just buying one, and that's the easier part:' Monica said. Dr. Korman is working on a loan pro- gram, having raised $30,000 from YIS congregants to help with home purchases. "The loan money was donated to the shul and designed to be a self-perpetuating fund for loans as they are paid back;' he said. "More fundraising will be done, with a goal of at least $50,000 to be in the pool. Each family would receive $7,200 to be used toward their mortgage, to be paid back to the synagogue over five years, in equal payments, without interest." Young families who join YIS will be offered free membership for one year, with scaled dues after that based on age. Information will be shared on the syna- gogue, including the 100-member youth department, active sisterhood, ongoing educational programs, committees and services. Local day schools and yeshivot also will be highlighted. The committee began plans for the Shabbaton by looking at what attracted them to and kept them in the YIS com- munity. "For my family, it was great hous- ing close to the shul, a half mile from (Yeshivat) Akiva, where my kids go to school, in a location that was close to expressways, with easy access to the `kosher food strip' in Southfield and Oak Park:' said Dr. Korman, whose family moved from West Bloomfield in 2003. The committee's list of what would entice new young families was topped with issues relating to employment and housing. Each was addressed, and unique and expansive solutions were imple- Rabbi Morris understands "the recent demographic study indicated the met- ropolitan Detroit Jewish community has been decreasing in size over the years and we are having a difficult time retaining our younger members." But he maintains that "while the economy is the biggest factor for this decrease, we believe that our strong, 120-family member commu- nity has much to offer and is capable of attracting new members." And when they come, there will be room in the synagogue, in space created by the recent demolition of a nearby house. "Our shul is currently working with a 14 May 17 • 2007 More People, More Space builder and architect on plans to expand our facility, with additional youth rooms, expanded social hall, library, mikvah, out- side deck and playground:' Rabbi Morris said. "The additional space will also make room for a belt midrash, where a learners' minyan will be held;' Dr. Korman said. The Shabbaton will be free for the visi- tors because of the money Dr. Korman raised. Monica Fischman added that the home hospitality "will give our guests a more intimate chance to meet people and ask questions." Friday night meals will be in host homes and Saturday the group will eat together at the synagogue. "Then we'll house hop:' Dr. Korman said. "And Shabbat is long, so there will be babysitting." Sunday the visitors will join the congre- gation at the annual synagogue picnic. Without keeping count, the committee sent Shabbaton invitations to everyone they could think of, Monica said. "We invited a lot of people, both people who grew up in the community as well as friends and family of our members," she said. With the program still weeks away, already several families from New York and one from Chicago are on board to attend. Expanding A Plan "We are hoping for people who live out- side of Michigan, or in Michigan — even people who are renting here and deciding where to buy and settle — to come see what our shul does:' Dr. Korman said. "Even if only one couple comes to the Shabbaton, this will have been a success because we got the word out that we will bend over backwards. We want people to see what one community is doing:" But the hope of some outside YIS is that there will be many. "We expect that some of things they are doing there can eventually be done on a community-wide basis:' said Randie Levin, director of agency relations for the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Levin also is the staff liaison to Federation's DetroitWorks, a task force developed to study how to bring young adults to Detroit. Still in its beginning stages, the task force has spent time listening to what their members and guests have to say. Last month the group heard from Rabbi Reuven Spolter of Young Israel of Oak Park and Rabbi Harold Loss of Temple Israel in West Bloomfield on behalf of the Michigan Board of Rabbis. "They spoke about the need for social opportunities, employment offerings and home loans as incentives for young adults to come here,' Levin said. YIS member Ari Fischman is on the task force and distributed materials and spoke to the group about what the syna- gogue is planning. "Michigan's cost of living is reasonable and offers a better quality of life Ari said. "I would like to see more people move back or pioneer here and see how living in Michigan can better their lifestyles:' To glean ideas from YIS, Jennifer Levine, Federation's Young Adult Division director, met with members of the congregation. "We are very supportive and very excit- ed about what they are doing:' said Randie Levin. "We are looking at the same things as YIS; anything that is an incentive for young people to locate or relocate here." In addition to wanting to build on those incentives and expand his community, Dr. Korman has an ulterior motive for show- casing YIS and its members. "I want my kids back here he said. "If they want to go to Israel, that's wonderful; but they need to remember how price- less this community is and how their dad worked hard to get these people here." For information on the Young Family Shabbaton at Young Israel of Southfield June 1-3, contact Monica Fischman at (201) 966-1591 or monicafischman@gmail.com ; or Dr. Howard Korman at hkorman@comcast.net .