Spirituality

GROWING COMMUNITY

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Craig and Miri Gertner of Southfield

Rivka Jacobs of Southfield with her chil-

dren, Elianna, 2, J.J., 5, and Gabriella, 6

Micole and Jared Orlofsky of Southfield

Larry and Kim Novak of Southfield and

their children, Rebecca, 10, and Sammy, 7

28 November 12 • 2009

networking opportunities and invited
a Realtor to discuss housing options.
YIS fundraising efforts — chaired by
Howard Korman — offered interest-free
loans toward mortgages, something that
continues on a case-to-case basis.
In the past three years, 15 families
have relocated to the YIS area, and three
more are set to move this fall. Most
came because of the Shabbatonim and
the networking of YIS members through
events like the New York fait
"I've had calls from people who say
they didn't attend our Shabbatonim, but
someone who did gave them my num-
ber because they are considering going
to school here or moving for a job and
they want to know more about our com-
munity," Monica Fischman said. "We've
become the people for them to call and
ask questions. It's like now they know
someone here:'
Added Howard Korman, "The
Shabbatonim have put the YIS neighbor-
hood on the map as a prime destination
for new families and have shown that
we are a developing, growing outreach
neighborhood:'

Spreading The Word
Among the contingency of Detroiters
who attended the fair are the Fischmans,
Morris and two Young Israel of Oak Park
members, who shared information on
their community as well. They joined
representatives from 22 cities nation-
wide who presented the positive aspects
of their hometowns to fair participants,
mostly from New York and New Jersey.
Attendees were looking to move to
smaller, less hectic communities, with
lower housing costs and property taxes,
more time to socialize and jobs closer
to home.
The fair — which drew representa-
tives from San Francisco to Providence,
R.I. — was billed as an event for emerg-
ing communities. But some well-estab-
lished, smaller communities, like Metro
Detroit, were included. Oak Park and
Southfield made the grade after Morris
submitted an application.
"The OU wants to help these smaller
communities and their synagogues
grow:' Morris said.
Having lived in other states, he knows
firsthand what it means to make the
move, and attended the fair to share why
his family chose to make their home
here.
Promoters of the fair said Detroit was
selected to participate because of its
presence of Jewish life and resources,
such as synagogues, learning opportuni-
ties, kosher establishments and other
mainstays of a closeknit, warm Jewish

community, relatively low cost of living,
charm and multiple employment oppor-
tunities.
"The perspective in our country is
that Detroit is a ghost town and that
everyone is unemployed:' Morris said. "I
wanted us to be able to show our posi-
tive side, to tell them of the great cost of
living, our high-caliber Jewish schools
with relatively low tuition costs and the
quality of life we have here. I wanted to
tell people about the great Jewish com-
munity filled with wonderful people
and how our community is a wonderful
place to raise children:'
Excited about the work being done
in Southfield, Scott Kaufman, CEO of
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, sees potential for expansion of
the effort.
"What's happening in Southfield
could be a test lab for the whole com-
munity; it's a good model for Federation
and other sectors of the community to
emulate he said.
"People are tending to gravitate to
neighborhoods that are like those in the
`old days: those with a sense of com-
munity;' he said. "But someone has to
start, so there is something to gravitate
around. People move, almost in packs.
If you get the right person to come first,
more will come

Growing An Idea
The concept for the fair was conceived
last year by OU President Stephen J.
Savitsky, who spent time in our com-
munity in January 2008 listening to
feedback from member congregations
about their needs and how the OU could
respond to them.
"We have begun to create an aware-
ness that there are OU communities out
there that offer a great deal to people
interested in relocating;' he said.
The fair was a follow up to a slightly
smaller one held last year — that did
not include Detroit — focusing on
the more affordable cost of living and
Orthodox Jewish lifestyle in highlighted
communities. This year, economic con-
ditions warranted the additional focus
on job opportunities and affordable
housing.
"With a recent influx of younger fami-
lies, our Southfield neighborhood con-
tinues to be vibrant and strong:' Morris
said. "Spacious and affordable housing
and a genuinely warm and welcoming
environment are just a few examples
of what attracts families to our com-
munity."
YIS itself is another. With 120 fam-
ily-members, a 100-member youth
department, an active sisterhood and

ongoing educational programs, YIS
hosts communal and social program-
ming, including a Young Family Social
Committee formed by Howard Korman
and an Outreach Committee he created
and heads to welcome new families.
And the synagogue is set to expand,
with work begun earlier this month on
additions that will include youth rooms,
a library, outside deck and playground,
beit midrash (house of learning or
study) and classrooms.
But telling prospective new families
about housing and a great synagogue
and terrific people was the easy part.
"The bottom line for us was to be able
to network at the fair on their behalf to
help them get jobs:' Morris said. "For
those who find work, Detroit becomes a
place with great advantages over other
communities. All the amenities plus
work make a great shidduch (match)."

The "J" Word
Much of the energy of those who attend-
ed the fair — in addition to the work
done back home by members of plan-
ning committees from both Young Israel
synagogues — went into compiling a
list of possible local jobs. To participate,
communities had to show jobs are avail-
able and that they will maintain assis-
tance with job placement for candidates.
In Southfield, that's where Monica
Fischman came in with a personal
understanding of the priorities involved
in relocating.
"Even when we knew we wanted to
move here, we waited until we had jobs
lined up:' she said. "And it was the No.
1 thing people asked us about in New
York. Some of them didn't have jobs
— especially those who had worked
in finance — and some had jobs they
didn't like. Some were just looking to
leave stressful, hectic lives in New York,
but wouldn't move until they found
work:'
So Fischman prepared for the fair by
sending out e-mails and posting her
request for possible employment open-
ings on listserves and in chatrooms.
"I asked anyone who knew of a job or
worked for a company that might be hir-
ing to let me know:' she said. "I also went
to monster.com (an online job search
site) and called about listed jobs. I told
each one that I already had a job but was
looking to spread the word about their
job by posting it at the fair so I could
help bring people back to Michigan.
They all said, `Go for it! The OU told us
we had the largest response for jobs."
Job listings were posted at the fair on
a publicized bulletin board provided by
the OU Job Board in conjunction with