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Michael Carnow, 25, Royal Oak
Moishe House
Michael is the Artistic Director
of Breathe Art Theatre Project
Motor City Secures Funding
to Launch in 2011
When Michael Carnow moved to Michigan, he knew he was going to be involved in
the theater scene. Little did he know, less than three years later, he would be running
Detroit's coolest theater
company.
"It's pretty surreal," Carnow said about his appointment
as artistic director of Breathe Art Theatre Project, with
performances both in Windsor and Detroit.
As Carnow talks about the company, his passion is
evident.
"This company is exactly what I love about theater,"
he said. "It's edgy, contemporary and relevant. I like to
say we're the 'HBO' of the Detroit theater scene. This
is theater for adults; you're never going to see children
or old ladies at our shows. Our dramas are darker. Our
comedies are quirkier. And there's a good chance they'll
be sex or a gun or both."
Carnow and his then-girlfriend-now-fiancee Abby
Reiss moved to Royal Oak in August of 2007 as she
began a doctoral program at Wayne State University in
Detroit. A month later, Michael had begun working at
Solomon Friedman Advertising, where he still works as
a digital and broadcast producer.
Three weeks prior (after a wrong turn that almost
landed him in Canada), Carnow had his first Detroit
acting job.
"It was really funny," he said. "I came here and had no
job in which I could make money, but I'd booked an act-
ing gig. It was not the way I expected things to happen."
Since then, Carnow has acted and directed around
the area, and in May 2009 was asked to join the artistic
board of Breathe Art. After a slight re-shuffling of the
board this summer, Carnow was asked to step into the
leadership role.
"It's been a challenge, as any change in leadership
ELEVATE
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Oct. 25-Dec. 10
For job seekers in their 20s with a serious commitment to
their career search. The eight-week Elevate program expands
peer networks, helps participants develop their personal
brand and offers opportunities with employers that would
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Application closes Oct. 15. For more information, visit www.
communityNXT.com/elevate.
MOTOR CITY CONNECT AT THE
FRIENDSHIP HOUSE
First Friday of every month
The Friendship House, West Bloomfield
Michael Carnow, Christa Coulter, Vanessa
Sawson
brings, but I'm really excited about it. We have a phe-
nomenal season lined up with two Michigan premieres,
a Pulitzer-prize winning show and a world premiere
workshop. There's intensity, laughter, sex and violence.
What else do you need?"
In addition to leading the selection of the season
and directing Yankee Tavern in February, Michael is
also spearheading the design of marketing materi-
als and re-design of the company website: www.
BreatheArtTheatre.com .
Breathe Art Theatre Project performs in Detroit and
Windsor, making it one of the few professional cross-
border theater companies in North America. The com-
pany, formed in 2004 by a collective of actors, directors
and designers, produces challenging and socially relevant
theater with an intimate relationship between the audi-
ence and the actors.
boom, Breathe Art Theatre Project's first show of
the 2010-2011 season, opens Oct. 1 at the Furniture
Factory in Detroit.
Join the business professionals of Motor City Connect for an
effective and fun alternative to the traditional
networking meeting. Cost: $5. For more information,
http://motorcityconnect.groupsite.com or call Terry Bean at
(248) 224-1326 or Ben Rosenzweig at (248) 752-3762.
BUSINESS PERFORMANCE IMPROVEMENT 2.0
Tuesday, Sept. 21, 4-6 p.m.
Birmingham Tower, 280 N. Old Woodward, Birmingham
The Business Improvement Team sponsors a meeting each
month for business executives to gain information on how
to accelerate their business. There are always two speakers
on topics of interest and also time for networking with your
peers. For more information, http://bizimpteam.com/events
By Adam Finkel
Time magazine exclaimed that "when the very future of Detroit
became an issue, the old 'we-they' approach changed to an `all of
us" one."' That was exactly 30 years ago today.
For Jewish Detroit to thrive, we must create new paths for
our nation's young talent to build a community here that mat-
ters to them — and have a collective sense of urgency to embrace
a new way of thinking. This means immediately shifting the
paradigm so that new ideas can be started on the grassroots
level and offered the support and resources to scale far and wide.
We must seize this time to create innovative Jewish phi-
lanthropy, community service and religious outlets so future
generations can continue to carry on the traditions, teaching,
advocacy, service and charity that makes Judaism and our local
community special.
Moishe House Motor City creates a home for 4-5 young
leaders to take initiative on behalf of Jewish Detroit and become
ambassadors for young Jewish life. The residents should be
young professionals between ages 21-35. They have the oppor-
tunity to receive 75 percent off their monthly rent based on the
amount of time they devote to Jewish programming. Dedicating
20 hours a month will be a 50 percent rent reduction; dedicating
30 hours will be a 75 percent reduction in rent.
House members must focus on at least one community event
each week that engages their peers outside the house such as
a potluck Shabbat, a community service project with JARC or
a study session with a rabbinical scholar. This Moishe House
home will be a hub for young Jews to create post-graduate
Jewish life as it has successfully done in 31 communities around
the world, from Chicago (with two houses) to Beijing.
Moishe House was founded in 2006 and has quickly grown
from four friends building a Jewish community for young adults
in their 20s out of their home in Oakland, Calif. to thriving
centers of Jewish life spanning 10 countries. In 2009, Moishe
Houses hosted more than 2,200 programs for more than 42,000
total participants.
Join in a cause to help a struggling generation unleash its
potential as creative, young Jews; and advance the spirit of corn-
munity in Jewish Detroit that has inspired major leaders and
philanthropists like Al Taubman, Bill Berman, Joel Tauber, the
late Bill Davidson, the late Max Fisher, Jewish Federations of
North America Chair Kathy Manning and Jewish Council for
Public Affairs Chair Dr. Conrad Giles.
Imagine a house where a young Technion graduate from
Israel can stay for the year and build connections between busi-
nesses in Israel and Detroit. A house where a former Chicago
resident can plan networking meetings for more people to
move back home. A house where a law graduate can organize
service projects for Hebrew School students to find mentors
from recent college graduates. A house where a young entre-
preneur can work and learn from her peers in other fields, or a
Cranbrook art student can teach Judaic arts to local students.
With Moishe House Motor City, Jewish Detroit can con-
tinue to be a world-class place to live, work and be Jewish by
letting future leaders of our community find a home here to be
apart of something truly special. Private funding will support
the local Moishe House.
Interested candidates must apply by Oct. 1 to move in by
the first of the year by e-mailing "potential candidates" to
MoisheHouseMotorCity@gmail.com .
If you would like to submit any events, information or would like to be featured in our section, please contact Rachel Lachover at (248) 351-5156 or
rlachover@thejewishnews.com . JOIN US ON FACEBOOK; search our group name and fan page "SE MICHIGAN JEWISH ALLIANCE"
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September 16 • 2010