7Metro
TIME TO GATHER / ON THE COVER
Thanksgiving Traditions
Detroiters unite in prayer, friendship, fun and football.
SheIli Liebman Dorfman I Senior Writer
hanksgiving. It's a
plic
time when those who
make our homes here
are joined by transient
college students and transplant-
ed Detroiters who come back to
celebrate the holiday. They drive.
They fly. They come by train. Some
bring friends. And when they get
together, they catch up, they pray,
they party and they play ball.
For some, there's America's
Thanksgiving Parade downtown
and the Detroit Lions game at Ford
Field in Detroit. And many young
adults line up in Farmington Hills
at Roosevelt's Bar and Grill for
an informal Wednesday night-
before-Thanksgiving gather-
ing. But Jewish Detroit also has
its own organized, longstand-
ing, well-planned group outings
and events — before and after
the Thanksgiving meal — many
of which have become our
traditions.
14 November 25 • 2010
JN
Partiers have fun at last year's Latke Vodka event.
Thanksgiving Latkes
Once coinciding with a different holiday, last year, the
annual Lathe Vodka event became a new Thanksgiving
weekend tradition.
"In years past, it was right around Chanukah',' said
Jessica Goodwin, senior campaign associate at the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit in Bloomfield Township.
"But last year, Federation's Young Adult Division (YAD)
board, with the Social Committee, decided to try having a
huge party the Saturday after Thanksgiving in hopes that
former Detroiters now living out of state would attend the
event and see that there is a strong, young, Jewish pres-
ence in Detroit"
The result was an event that doubled in size from the
year before, with about 400 participants, one-quarter of
whom were in town from other states.
"It was a given that this year, we would use the same
model:' Goodwin said.
This year's event, scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27,
at Via Nove in Ferndale, will be the sixth consecutive time
Latke Vodka has been held in recent years.
"It was resurrected from years ago and it has trans-
formed into YAD's biggest social event of the year','
Goodwin said.
"The timing is successful from more than one perspec-
tive said Rachel Lachover, 24, of West Bloomfield, co-
chair of this year's event with Jared Goldman, 28, of Royal
Oak. "It is an opportunity for out-of-towners to see who
from their peers is in the community. And it is a great
chance for them to see that there are young adults at dif-
ferent stages in their lives who are established here?'
The Lathe Vodka committee includes former Detroiters
who live in other areas.
"For the past two years, we have asked Detroiters who
now live in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York to spread
the word in their towns and among their Jewish federa-
tions for anyone who will be here for Thanksgiving;' said
Goldman, a YAD board member."We want to be able to
show them there is still a vibrant, young Jewish commu-
nity here:'
More than 400 participants are expected at this
year's event held in partnership with Federation's
CommunityNEXT and the Birthright Israel Foundation.
Great Lakes Beverage Company of Detroit is the beer
sponsor for the evening; music will be provided by Joe
Cornell Entertainment in Southfield. Kosher latkes and
doughnuts will be served, and there will be a flip book
photo book giveaway.