Metro
AROUND TOWN
Jul Menuck of Birmingham with her daughter, Jamie, 10
Peter Alter of Bloomfield Hills, Doreen Hermelin of Bingham Farms
and Robert Aronson of Bloomfield Hills
Million Dollar Milestone
T
Federation young adults pledge to raise the bar after a banner year.
here are a million reasons why
Brad "Bubba" Urdan of West
Bloomfield, the outgoing president
of the Young Adult Division of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit (YAD),
is proud of his term in office.
In addition to bringing in new mem-
bers, hosting dozens of events and leading
groups on trips to Israel, Poland, Kiev and
Washington, D.C., the under-40 crowd
raised more than $1 million for Federation's
Annual Campaign for the first time in
history; no small task in the midst of
Michigan's difficult economy.
"This has changed the expectations of YAD's campaign
for the future Urdan told about 140 people at the organi-
zation's 70th annual meeting June 19.
"Working with all of you, Federation staff, young
leadership, our board of governors and major philan-
thropists in the city to help our fellow Jews in need has
been the single most rewarding thing I've done in my 38
years."
Rabbi Leiby Burnham of Oak Park and
Urdan passed the gavel to Jill Menuck, 38,
of Birmingham who was installed as the new
YAD president during a ceremony and des-
sert reception at the Franklin home of Robert
and Marcie Orley. Federation CEO Robert
Aronson urged her and the incoming board to
set a goal of exceeding the million-dollar cam-
paign in the coming year.
"I'm thrilled and awed at what lies ahead,"
Menuck said. "We will succeed in making Detroit
a vibrant, exciting and meaningful place to live
and volunteer:'
In addition to fundraising, the group of young
leaders remains focused on retaining 20- and
30-somethings and even encouraging those who've
moved away to come back to metro Detroit.
A group will meet soon to discuss spicing up the local
social scene and improving job searching and network-
ing opportunities. Federation is also hosting upcoming
events in Los Angeles, Chicago and New York for young
Detroit natives as part of an aggressive outreach cam-
paign.
Shayna Levine and Lindsay Maddin,
Brad "Bubba" Urdan of West Bloomfield both of Huntington Woods
"It's time for us to go out and see our young people
and remind them that they're from Detroit," Aronson
said. "Some people say, `Why are you bothering? Because
they're not coming back from L.A.:" he added. "You know
how I feel about that? I feel that there's always an oppor-
tunity to come back to the greatest Jewish community in
America."
Spotted in the YAD annual meeting crowd were:
Jennifer and Todd Kroll, Laura and David
Gorosh, Adam Scheinfield, Lily Epstein, Rebecca
Lincoln, and Pam Azaria, all of Birmingham; Mandy
Friedenberg of Berkley; Rebecca Feldman of
Huntington Woods; Stacie Ostrofsky of Southfield;
Sean Kerman of Royal Oak; and Amy and Jason
Brooks, Dani Glickfeld, and Jennifer and Jordan
Glass, all of West Boomfield.
❑
For information on upcoming YAD events go to
www.jewishdetroit.orgiyad or call YAD Director
Jennifer Levine at (248) 203-1471.
Jennifer Greenhill of Berkley with Gil and
Rebecca Feldman of Huntington Woods
Robb Lippitt of Bloomfield Hills and
Daniel Klein of West Bloomfield
June 26 • 2008
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