Opinion
A MIX OF IDEAS
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Dry Bones
Editorial
WISHES
Building A Congregation
T
kinking outside the margins
has paid off in new congregants
at Young Israel of Southfield.
The idea of an annual Shabbaton to
spotlight the shul and surrounding
area has caught the imagination of 18
young families over the past four years.
The parents of one of the transplanted
couples bought the house next door for
when they visit — talk about keeping
family connections strong!
Young Israel of Southfield (YIS)
membership now stands at 130 fami-
lies.
The sustained energy and commit-
ment of the Shabbaton organizers give
the event the feel of a national model
of sorts. The success underscores the
attractiveness of Jewish Detroit and the
power of inventive thinking.
In the wake of so many of our young
adults opting for more appealing urban
centers where jobs, dating and nightlife
seem more plentiful, the Young Israel
vision exudes not only urgency, but
also promise. Other local congregations
concerned about membership would do
well to consider the Shabbaton model
or an adaptation of it; the time gener-
ally has passed for sitting back and
waiting for new members to just walk
in. Grassroots recruitment can yield
good results.
Shabbaton founders Monica and Ari
Fischman of Southfield and their cadre
of fellow congregants — including this
year's Shabbaton chairs Daniel and
Gillian Greenbaum of Southfield — in
support of making the Detroit Jewish
community something even more
special than it is have gone far beyond
their neighborhood in search of new
neighbors.
Rabbi Yechiel
Morris worked
to get them
included in the
2009 Emerging
Communities:
Job and Home
Relocation Fair
hosted by the OU
in New York. A
young
family from
Rabbi Morris
Montreal liked
what they heard
at the fair, studied up on Metro Detroit
and decided to relocate to Southfield.
That's not surprising given the quality
of our Jewish life and resources, despite
a declining population. The relatively
low cost of living here, coupled with our
engaging community, certainly makes
the place we all call home a real draw.
The sustained energy
and commitment
of the Shabbaton
organizers give the
event the feel of a
national model of
sorts. The success
underscores the
attractiveness of
Jewish Detroit
and the power of
inventive thinking.
In Touch
YIS hasn't grown complacent. It stays in
contact with anyone who expresses an
interest. It invites families to the homes
of congregants anytime; several fami-
lies have come on weekends separate
from the Shabbaton.
Since having access to a job is cru-
cial to making it in Metro Detroit,
Monica Fischman created a local jobs
list before the New York fair by asking
everyone she knew what job openings
they had heard about; she ended up
bringing the largest job listing to the
fair, overshadowing even larger Jewish
communities.
Shabbaton committee members see
the smaller nature of Detroit Jewry not
as a negative, but as a plus, referring
to it as close-knit. They highlight the
presence of kosher venues, mikvahs,
eruvim, JCC buildings, Federation,
social services, synagogues of every
denomination and Jewish day schools
with tuition half the cost of those in
New York.
The personal approach has clicked
Young Israel works with each family
and assists them with
individual needs, be
it a job, housing or
schools. By doing
so, the shul figures
to make this Young
Israel community
a viable long-term
option. Playing up
Young Israel's vibran-
cy shows potential
new members that
the shul wants them
and that it will
work with them to
settle in Southfield,
which remains an
all-important bridge
between the Jewish
strongholds of West
Bloomfield and Oak
Park.
Varied Incentives
Besides appealing to homebuyers
because of low housing costs, the
Young Israel offer includes interest-
free loans for up to $7,500 for families
moving here.
In the past year, YIS spruced up its
own campus, expanding the building,
adding rooms for youth programming,
classrooms and a beit midrash (study
hall) for weekday services and learning.
An uplifting Shabbaton, in itself,
doesn't guarantee membership security.
But it can help. It underscores the vigor
of networking to counter Michigan's
economic storm clouds.
We love how Rabbi Morris put it
in 2007 before the first Shabbaton.
Presciently, he said: "We need to stop
feeling sorry for ourselves and desist
from blaming the economy and,
instead, be positive and proactive in
highlighting to our youth, and to Jews
throughout our country, the wonderful
qualities and benefits of our commu-
nity?'
Hurdles To Clear
Jewish Detroit faces an array of chal-
lenges. But we're not reeling. Living in
Chicago may be a boon if you are single
and in your 20s. But it would be hard
to find a more desirable and nurturing
Jewish community in which to raise a
family and build a business. We need
to market Metro Detroit as the best
Jewish community in America — and
not slight our impressive communal
infrastructure.
DryBones.com
If those of us who live here truly
want to reinforce Detroit's Jewish
future, we need to lead the cheer-
ing, innovating and recruiting. Let's
respond to the drum roll of Rabbi
Morris and Young Israel of Southfield
and a host of other caring souls who
don't shy away from calculated risk.
Working along with philanthropists,
JVS and angel capital, Federation holds
a pivotal role in taking us to the next
level.
Breakout thinking that inspires jobs
— whether startup businesses or new
career opportunities —will go a long
way toward making Detroit attractive
for 20- to 40-somethings who have
already left, give those already here
another reason to stay and perhaps
draw in a totally different group of
people who value the kind of unique
Jewish community that we have.
Ideally, we need a business develop-
ment and career quality jobs strategy
that gives young entrepreneurs cause
to think that we, as a community,
really do care. One example might be
a revolving loan fund administered
by Hebrew Free Loan of Metropolitan
Detroit.
With traction, that scenario could
spur major business leaders to step up
with angel funding (and significant
investment) to help new businesses with
the best prospects really take off — and
help Jewish Detroit, buoyed by Young
Israel and Federation, realize its poten-
tial.
❑
aH
September 2 R 2010
45