Metro

AROUND TOWN

Holiday Spirits

Young adults mix latkes and vodka at festive Chanukah event.

Ariana Blumenfeld of
Berkley and Rachel

Wright of Birmingham

I

t could be the catchy name or the trendy Detroit nightspot that draws a crowd.
Whatever it is, the annual Latke & Vodka party sponsored by the Young Adult
Division of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit seems to have just the
right mix. Close to 200 young adults flocked downtown Dec. 6 to mingle at Centaur
Bar, an art deco cocktail lounge near the Fox Theatre which has
hosted the event for four straight years.
"It's a beautiful, upscale bar:' said Federation campaign asso-
ciate Jessica Goodwin. "I think this party continues to be so
popular because people like the atmosphere. It's a nice change of
scenery from the Birmingham/Royal Oak bar scene'
Partygoers arrived to find a room filled with blue and silver
balloons, freshly made latkes being served and a special drink
menu which included a vodka tonic called "Candlelight Delight."
Dragon Bleu, a high priced French brand of vodka, was this
year's sponsor.
"Even in these tough economic times, they came to us asking
to sponsor the event;' said Rachel Wright of Birmingham. "For
the fourth year, we were able to keep the costs flat, enabling us to

Greg Glickfeld of West Bloomfield and Jill Menuck of
Birmingham

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December 25 • 2008

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raise more money for Federation's Annual Campaign."
Detroit is not the only city where latkes and vodka are becoming a tradition. A quick
Google search revealed similar parties in other major cities like New York, Santa Barbara
and Denver. YAD used the social networking website, Facebook, to reach out to new par-
ticipants.
"Mardis Gras beads in Chanukah theme colors adorned everyone's neck by the end of
the evening;' said Wright. "The party didn't stop until 2 a.m. No one seemed to want to
leave early!"
Spotted in the Latke &Vodka crowd were Jaimee Wine, Daniel Kuchersky,
Dani and Greg Glickfeld and Jodi Beals, all of West Bloomfield; Amy Friedman
of Commerce Township; Julie Borkin of Huntington Woods; Jared Goldman of
Farmington Hills; Suzan and Lawrence Tepman of Oak Park; and Alexis and Michael
Schostak, Yoav Raban and Laurice Covensky, all of Bloomfield Hills. ❑

YAD will ring in 2009 with a couple's 'Fondue Feud' event Jan.17 at

Congregation Beth Shalom in Oak Park. For more information, go to
www.jewishdetroit.org/yad.

Aaron Beals of West Bloomfield and Julie Borkin
of Huntington Woods

Michole Orlofsky, Monica Fischman and Elissa Bluth,
all of Southfield