metro >> ... Next Generation ...
Biggest Social
Evens!' Of The Year
Fans gush about the fun they had at
the seventh annual Latke Vodka bash.
RACHEL WINER
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
N
early 800 young adults from near and far
came together locally for the seventh annual
Latke Vodka on the night of Saturday, Nov.
26, some straight from the Jay-Z/Kanye West
concert.
This year, Latke Vodka featured live music from the
Killer Flamingos. The event was put on by the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit's Young Adult
Division and CommunityNEXT (CNXT), an arm of the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, focused on
attracting and retaining young talent in the region as
part of the overall effort to engage people to Detroit.
The 800 number was achieved through the great
work of the professional staff and taskforce who utilized
mail invites, email blasts, social media and word of
mouth during the month leading up to the big event.
What is now said to be "the biggest social event of
the year" offered a huge appeal with the popular Killer
Flamingos who play an infectious blend of pop, rock and
electronica. The night also consisted of a DJ provided
by Joe Cornell Entertainment, Chanukah-themed hors
d'oeuvres, a cash bar, photo ops and more.
This year, Latke Vodka included a text-to-give
campaign where guests could either text to donate in
increments of $10 to the Jewish Federation's annual
campaign, or guests could text messages to each other
that were live-streamed on big screens around the
venue.
Bryan Fenster, 30, of Royal Oak, who recently moved
back to Detroit and is the online content strategist for
JFMD, said, "We were very excited to unveil our mobile
technology that attendees utilized to send in more
than 300 personal messages for display, and/or were
able to donate $10 to our annual campaign. It was
very successful and we're looking forward to using this
platform for future events."
Social Media at Latke Vodka
Facebook posts were also rolling all night.
Abigail Eichenhorn, 22, of Oak Park, posted, "Wow I
saw so many people tonight at Latke Vodka, Facebook
wouldn't even let me tag even a fraction of them. I
really thought half of you didn't exist anymore... :-) It
was good seeing everyone, this weekend was non-stop
"Had the most phenomenal time. Kudos to the host
committee. Latke Vodka, so hot right now!" - Jaimee Wine, Ann Arbor
Guest Column
grew up in Southfield, went to Hillel
Day School and North Farmington
High School. I then went to University
of Michigan and majored in
biopsychology.
Having lived in Michigan by that time for,
22 years, I decided that I needed to move
out of state, and I intentionally utilized
each stage of my medical training as an
opportunity to explore different parts of the
country.
I left Metro Detroit in August 2001 for
medical school in New York and lived there
through June 2005, where I earned my MD
at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of
Yeshiva University in Bronx, N.Y.
36
December 8 • 2011
fantastic with family and friends."
Daniel Horwitz, 27, of Chicago posted, "LatkeNodka
is the new Roosevelt's. Kudos to the planning committee
and professional staff — new venue and band were
great!"
Jaimee Wine, 25, of Ann Arbor also shared, "Had the
most phenomenal time last night, kudos to the host
committee for planning such a hit' ['III! Latke Vodka,
so hot right now. #LV7."
Detroit native and current New Yorker, Tara Forman,
25, shared, "I had so much fun seeing familiar faces I
never thought I'd see again. Through the many friendly
introductions, surprising reunions and awkward run-ins,
it was like a replay of my entire life cycle in one night.
This will be my new Thanksgiving weekend tradition
worth keeping."
Rachel Lachover, 25, of West Bloomfield, associate
director of CommunityNEXT, added, "This year, Latke
Vodka 7 featuring Killer Flamingos was the best year
yet. The YAD task force and Next Gen team came
together to put a larger-than-life event together that
engaged Detroiters across the country!"
The next big event for the 21-40-year-old
demographic is Festivus, beginning at 9 p.m. Dec. 25 at
Fifth Avenue Billiards in Royal Oak. II
Rachel Winer is the marketing strategist for
CommunityNEXT.
No Place Like Home
Afterward, I moved to
laid-back lifestyle, but Michigan
Philadelphia for one year for my
just felt like home.
internship, and moved back to
My wife from New York
New York for my anesthesiology
(fiancée at the time) suggested
PHIL RUBIN
residency at the Mount Sinai
we look into moving close to
Medical Center in Manhattan. I
family in Michigan after getting
then moved to California for a
married, and I was initially
one-year fellowship at Stanford University in
hesitant. I worried about moving back to
obstetric anesthesia.
the suburbs, the cold and wondered how
While I had incredible training experiences
different our lives would be living back in
across the country, it was difficult for me
the Midwest.
to decide where to ultimately practice once
I ultimately found the best job
I completed all my training because each
opportunities in Michigan, so it was beshert.
place was so unique. New York was full
We decided it would be a great place to live
of culture and endless hustle and bustle,
after recently getting married (August 2010
California had great weather with a more
in New Jersey). I have been working as an
anesthesiologist at Beaumont Health System
since October 2010, and have been very
happy with the transition.
My wife, Jamie Rubin, currently works as
the senior director of corporate programs,
overseeing global website development, for
News Corporation in New York. She works
remotely from our home in Birmingham, and
travels back home to New York monthly for
meetings.
She also takes care of our red toy poodle,
Spike, who is a year old. We love living
in Birmingham because it allows us the
freedom to walk around town without
having to drive everywhere, which helps
mimic our previous New York lifestyle.