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One Parent's Idea

Being viewed on the computer are

Matt and Melanie Hildebrandt and

their baby, Samara. The small,

inset screen on the lower right is a

replica of the view the family sees

in Singagore.

How Far Will They Go? from page 9

Medicine in New York.
"At one point, most everybody Jason
knows left the city:' Helen Garden said.
"But, in the next couple of months, two of
Bradley's friends plan to move back home
to the Detroit area. And once some of
them start coming home, no one can say,
`There's nobody here:
"If things improve socially and econom-
ically in Detroit, I think they would both
like to come home and bring the knowl-
edge and experience they've acquired with
them:'

Ronald Victor, 31, is creating a new career
path that undoubtedly will keep him chal-
lenged and thriving, while allowing him to
come back home.
"He was an attorney in Manhattan on a
partnership track at a major national law
firm," said his father, Richard Victor of
Bloomfield Hills. "Of course, for us there
was an easier course in that I could offer
him full partnership in my law firm. But
still, he was very happy where he was, and
for a long time was convinced he couldn't
have a better life here
Ronald moved from New York to
Birmingham in mid-March. Victor said
his son knows how much less hectic and

10..-

stressed his life will be.
"He will still work very hard at a great
job, but in a place with a much lower cost
of living. And now his biggest question
can be, `What do I do with all my free
time, now that I don't have to commute to
and from my job in the city?'
"Ronald is bringing new ideas to our
firm," his dad said. "And his brother
Daniel, who is managing partner at my
law firm, has plans for the firm's expan-
sion in new areas that fit Ron's expertise.
"This is a great time to come to
Michigan because of the opportunity to
grow. Here Ron can be a big fish in a small
pond rather than a small fish in an ocean:'

How Far Is Far?

"When others complain to me about their
kids living in Seattle or California, I don't
feel too bad for them:' said Sue Birnholtz
of Sylvan Lake. Her daughter and son-in-
law — Melanie and Matt Hildebrandt,
both 33 — moved to Singapore.
And to make the distance seem that
much farther, Sue and her husband
Sandy's first grandchild, Samara, was born
there in October.
An economist with J.P. Morgan Chase,
analyzing emerging economies in
Southeast Asia for the bank and inves-

tors, Matt took a job in Singapore after
working for the Federal Reserve in New
York. Melanie, with a degree in social
work and an MBA she earned since mov-
ing to Singapore, works in the Diversity
and Inclusion Department at Standard
Chartered Bank.
"Our kids, at this point, are happy to be
exposed to other cultures, ways of think-
ing, ways of living:' Birnholtz said. "They
also enjoy meeting the other expats: young
people who are adventurous, ambitious,
eager to experience what they can't find at
home.
"They like the more sophisticated and
cosmopolitan lifestyle. They don't dislike
being in Michigan. Matt's parents, Fran
and Tom Hildebrandt, live in Farmington
Hills. They just don't see themselves find-
ing jobs here in their fields."
The Birnholtzes have a similar out-
look for their son Dr. Jeremy Birnholtz, a
36-year-old assistant professor at Cornell
University in Ithaca, N.Y.
"He really has to go where the academic
opportunity is best for him:' Sue Birnholtz
said. "At least he's here in the States and is
reachable by car.
"You raise your kids to be indepen-
dent, self-sufficient adults who have the

How Far Will They Go? on page 12

"What if our kids came home and cre-
ated something together that brought
them back – and benefited our com-
munity?" asked Debra Darvick of
Birmingham. "Groups of them could
pool their talent and start a business,
bringing their experience and skills
with them to build something viable
and sustainable; perhaps a restaurant
or some other retail venture.
"They could gather a chef, someone
to do marketing, an interior designer,
an artist, an architect. They could
organize it through an online Facebook
Village."
She says she doesn't know if her and
husband Martin's children, Elliot, 26,
in Los Angeles and Emma, 23, in New
York City, will ever come back home.
"They are happy and thriving and
their jobs are in other cities, but it
would be nice if they had an option
here," Darvick said.
Elliot works in social media and
online marketing. Emma is employed
at an all-service digital photography
studio whose clients are in the fashion
industry.
"Whenever Elliot and his friends
from home get together they talk
about Detroit in a way that shows it is
still where their hearts are," she said.
"His other friends from the Midwest
– like those from Toledo or Columbus –
don't talk that way about their home-
towns. Detroit is a special place that
way."
Her hope is that if a young adult
group is attracted to her plan, the
community also will become involved.
"They would need seed money to get
started," she said. "Maybe Federation
could help with startup costs.
Community members could buy shares
in the business to raise funds.
"The kids could even all live togeth-
er in the suburbs or in the city of
Detroit."
She suggests a contest. "Groups of
10 could band together and present
their business plan," Darvick said. "The
community could choose a winner.
"These kids have so much to give.
One of them may not come home; but
if there were nine others, there's a
much better chance they would, espe-
cially if they were creating a business.
"We nurtured these kids," she said.
"Let Detroit reap what we as a com-
munity gave them."

To find local activities for
young Jewish adults, go to:
www.communitynxt.com ,
www.jewishdetroit.org/yad.
For jobs, go to: www.jvsdet.org .
For education, go to:
www.jewishdetroit.org/melton and
www.partnersintorah.org .