Special Report
ON THE COVER
Hollywood Invasion from page A13
"I talked to people all night long. I had
a hundred conversations:' Glass said. "I
think getting together like that helped
them all think a little more fondly about
Detroit. I told them I came home to start
a new chapter in my life, to be part of a
community and raise a family"
Jordan Glass with L.A. residents Darren Rogow and David Boorstein, both from
West Bloomfield
see if I could succeed on my own," Glass
said. "It was like a vacation living out
there, but you can only live a vacation life
for so long."
Glass, who serves as on officer of the
board of Federation's Young Adult Division
and a campaign co-chair, was among par-
tygoers at the Stone Rose Lounge. He flew
to L.A. for the event as an ambassador of
sorts to share his experiences.
Hollywood Dreams
Many of the young people in the crowd
say they can see themselves following a
similar path someday, but for now, they're
pursuing Hollywood dreams. That's why
the evening's keynote speaker, screen-
writer/actor/director/producer Michael
Binder (who is Jewish and grew up in
Birmingham), was another big draw.
Binder is remembering his roots in
his own way. He told the group he hopes
to spur Michigan's economy by bringing
moviemaking here.
"He said everything he writes takes
place in Michigan; he still feels very con-
nected to Detroit:' said Dan Greenberg,
one of the local Federation staffers in
the crowd. "His last movie, The Upside
of Anger, was supposed to take place
in Grosse Pointe; but it was too expen-
sive to shoot here so they had to film
it in London. He wrote a letter to Gov.
Granholm, starting the push to give tax
incentives to filmmakers."
Michigan recently raised its movie
tax credit to 42 percent, the highest in
the nation; big stars including Clint
Eastwood and Drew Barrymore already
have Michigan-based films currently in
production. Over the last few months,
movie crews have been popping up in
various locations around Metro Detroit.
Aspiring actress Marisa Stober, 23, of West
Bloomfield moved to L.A., but has sud-
denly been flying to Detroit for auditions
and casting calls.
"It's really ironic:' Stober said. "It's excit-
ing because I still have agency representa-
tion in Detroit so I'm taking advantage of
the opportunity. Plus, it's a great excuse to
come home more oftee
Taking Action
Giving young Jews who've moved away a
great excuse to come home permanently
is the ultimate goal of the outreach effort,
but Bob Aronson says that's not the pri-
Hollywood Invasion on page A16
L A. Stories: Young Detroit Jews Go West
Michele Sushin
Age: 27
Hometown: West Bloomfield
Job: Aspiring fashion sales/marketing executive
"The main reason I moved to
L.A. was for job opportunities.
Unfortunately, at the time I
decided to move [in October
20071, Detroit had limited
employment opportunities and
I knew I would have to move
to a bigger city in order to
grow my career. There are a
Michele Sushin
lot of Detroiters here and I've
run into some people I haven't
seen since high school. My new roommate is a fellow
Detroiter, Jenny Greenberg, 29, of Oak Park. We all
have that common bond that we grew up in Metro
Detroit, went to Hebrew school, camp or high school
together and came out here to pursue our dreams."
my wife, Audrey, here
and I'm currently working
at Cedars-Sinai Medical
Center specializing in
spine pain management.
I still follow the Red
Wings, Tigers and Lions
and I'm in daily contact
with some of my clos-
est friends who are in
Jason and Audrey Berkley Metro Detroit. Some of
the things I miss most
include Franklin Cider Mill doughnuts on an October
afternoon, Buddy's Pizza and Lafayette Coney Island
— but I definitely don't miss the snow!"
Marisa Stober
Age: 23
Hometown: West Bloomfield
Job: Aspiring actress
Jason Berkley
Age: 39
Hometown: Farmington Hills
Job: Doctor
"After completing a fellowship in epilepsy at Henry
Ford Hospital in Detroit, I moved in 2002 to be closer
to my parents and sister, Elizabeth, an actress who's
been settled in L.A. for many years. I also felt a
change would be good for me and I was right. I met
A14
September 4 • 2008
Marisa Stober
"I've known my whole life that
I wanted to move to L.A. to
pursue an acting career and
that's why I graduated from the
University of Michigan a year
early and moved in January
2006. Still, I feel a very strong
connection to my hometown
and Jewish roots. There's no
place else that gives me the
same warm, familiar, easy feel-
ing. I get a sense of comfort and stability every time
I return, and sometimes its actually hard to leave
again. I hope that the city continues to revive itself
so that one day young people will stop moving away
from Detroit and instead be able to pursue all of their
dreams and aspirations in their hometown. I can hon-
estly say I'm very proud of where I come from and of
my Jewish identity; it has made me who I am today."
Renee Simlak
Age: 36
Hometown: Southfield
Job: Jewelry designer
"I moved to Los Angeles in
June 2001, right before 9-11. I
was 28 years old and ready for
a big change in my life. There
was nothing holding me back
and it just felt right. I have
some family members in L.A.,
but at the time I only had one
friend that I knew of living
Renee Simlak
there. That friend introduced
me to many new people and,
boom! — now I have so many incredible friendships.
But I also still maintain many special friendships in
Michigan. The one thing I'll always know is that wher-
ever I go, the Jewish community I came from will
always be as strong as it was when I moved away. I'm
lucky to come from such a dedicated, unified com-
munity."