4111111111111111111111111111111111. Business & Professional DEVELOPMENT Gen Y Initiative Mourned Professional Leaders Project ends — but remains part of Davidson legacy. Don Cohen Special to the Jewish News A n innovative national project for developing young Jewish profes- sional and lay leadership closed last August with the possibility that a few of its members would be left out in the cold. But a group of funders was organized to provide the money needed so five students could continue their graduate education that had previously been funded by the Professional Leaders Project (PLP) as part of its academic fel- lows program. Unfortunately, the PLP itself appears to not be coming back any time soon. The PLP was the brainchild of Robert Aronson, senior development adviser and former CEO of the Bloomfield Township- based Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Aronson currently is president of the Birthright Israel Foundation as well as the Steinhardt Foundation for Jewish Life, both based in New York. He was a philan- thropic consultant to the late Detroit busi- ness leader William Davidson, who co- founded the PLP in 2004 along with other prominent local and national Jewish phi- lanthropists, including Steinhardt, Eugene and Marcia Applebaum of Bloomfield Hills and the Tulsa-based Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation. Local PLP donors included Bill Berman and Stanley Frankel. The successful program fell victim to the national economic decline as well as the unsettled financial affairs of Davidson's estate following his death in March 2009. "Mr. Davidson was the funder that kept this going," said Jonathan Aaron, Davidson's son-in-law and president of the Oakland County-based William Davidson Foundation. "I feel badly for the talent that had become engaged with the program:' Aaron said. "I always believed that it would exist past Mr. Davidson's support and that others had made an ongoing financial commitment. It's devastat- ing that it came to an end — and so abruptly:" Aaron says the program was "more powerful than people realized" and had a significant impact on bringing in new, young, able leaders. "I feel badly for the talent that had become engaged with the program. Its devastating that it came to an end — and so abruptly." - Jonathan Aaron Setting The Stage The PLP's mission was turning leadership over to the next generation and it pursued a variety of projects to recruit and train young adults in their 20s and 30s — known as Generation Y or the Millennial Generation — to fill leadership positions in the Jewish world. One project was to provide tuition grants for a program sending young adults to obtain business majors and Judaic Studies minors. Over the years, more than 25 students from across the country received full funding to participate. "We had the ability to bring in Generation Y as future leaders:' Aaron said. "Sometimes, they are marginalized and pushed to the side because of their age, and the community risks losing them. We allowed them to make a positive contribu- tion to our community today and not wait until their hair turns gray or their bank account elevates them to a different status:' Helping Hand But when the program closed last fall, five students lost their tuition grants, including four entering their final semester. To the rescue came a group of funders organized by David Cygielman, co-founder and executive director of the Oakland, Calif.-based Moishe House, which brings together a diverse mix of young Jews in their 20s to establish homes in American cities or abroad that become a hub of Jewish life for their peers. The group that Cygielman brought together provided the $77,000 tuition tab necessary to support another semes- ter of study for the five. Cygielman had been involved with the PLP for many years and was pleased he was able to help. "We just wanted to make sure that these young Jewish professionals who are going to be shaping the Jewish world are given the best opportunities and can go on to do the important work that they are doing:' Cygielman said. For Aronson, the ending of the PLP was most unfortunate, but unavoidable because of the convergence of nega- tive circumstances. He believes it had a major significant impact during its almost six years of work. "The PLP is probably one of the proudest moments and one of my proudest contributions in Jewish profes- sional life Aronson said. "I am thrilled with the concept of the program, its implementation and its results. I am particularly thrilled to have had the support of Bill Davidson, who contribut- ed $5 million over five years. It's impor- tant to stress that Bill Davidson always believed in investing in the best." "We just wanted to make sure that these young Jewish professionals who are going to be shaping the Jewish world are given the best opportunities." - David Cygielman "I am particularly thrilled to have had the support of Bill Davidson, who contributed $5 million over five years." - Robert Aronson Strong Legacy In addition to the tuition grants, the program created what Aronson called "live networks," which brought groups, professionals and lay people together across the country for mutual support, mentoring and learning and in a type of Jewish think tank. More than 2,000 young adults went through the program over five years. Another program helped Jewish federations create a more wel- coming environment for young profes- sionals. "We gave young people ongoing sup- port as to why being involved in the Jewish community as a professional or lay leader was a positive step:' Aronson said. "The most lasting legacy of the PLP lies in a whole bunch of outstand- ing young people in a variety of leader- ship positions in the Jewish community:' he said, citing several professionals from across the country. "I hope to bring PLP back one day if we get the funding. It has been a tre- mendous contribution to the American Jewish community:' Aronson said. The Weisman Factor Aronson had recruited Rhoda Weisman, a native Detroiter, to be the executive director of the PLP and both he and Aaron credit her with the success of the Project on page 42 • 41