Marcie Hermelin Orley and Doreen Hermelin: Daughter and mother
continue a legacy of giving and leadership.

Rick and Penny Blumenstein: Son and mother keep their focus on leadership and giving.

'They Can't Hider
Like many of the new generation of work-
ers and philanthropists who have found
specific niches of involvement, Marcie,
who has four children, focuses her com-
munity volunteer efforts on Federation.
She's currently an officer (secretary) and
head of the women's department.
"The strength of our community is the
Federation:' she stresses. "It has the where-
withal to respond to any problems and
must be supported.
"I'm fortunate to be living and assisting
charities in the Detroit area. And if other
young people aren't involved now, they had
better start. They can't hide from com-
munity work. Our current leaders will find
them?'
Indeed, the Federation is finding them,
not only here, but also in New York,
Chicago and Los Angeles, where it has
established branches of its Detroit Nation
program — groups composed of former
Detroiters. Federation rep-
resentatives meet with them
in person or through social
media to socialize, keep
them informed of Detroit
happenings and assist them
with any reverse migration
plans. And they wouldn't
turn down financial dona-
tions to charities in their old
home city.
"The out-of-towners
may not realize it, but the
ties that bind are still there,
drawing them back home
Kaufman says.

form PowerVoice, a company to help firms
market and sell products through social
media.
"Detroit has great potential, and there
are many opportunities for everyone;
we returned to take advantage of them;'
Andrew says. "We believe in Detroit and
the wonderful philanthropic Jewish com-
munity. I encourage other young people to
do the same'
There are other types of homecomings.
"I think most of the young people in
our Jewish community feel blessed and
grateful to have opportunities to con-
tinue their parents' life work:' says Karen
Davidson of Bloomfield Hills, widow of
William Davidson, the late businessman-
sportsman-philanthropist. Davidson's son,
Ethan, 42, has done just that. He was living
and working in England when his father
asked him to return and assist with the
Davidson Family Foundation.
"It turned out to be a sad homecom-

Believe In Detroit
The Landau brothers, Andrew, 26, now
of Royal Oak, and Ryan, 23, now of West
Bloomfield, are two expats who quit good-
paying jobs with big-companies to return
home. Andrew worked for Google in
Chicago and Ryan for IBM in Washington,
D.C. Five months ago, they came back to

ing and a shock to me because my dad
died shortly after I came back in 2009:'
he recalls. "But I'm happy to have the
responsibility and be the custodian of his
philanthropic legacy. The Jewish commu-
nity here is smaller and still in the midst
of tough times, with less money available
for charities. But we just have to get more

young people to make commitments."
Since returning, he has joined
the boards of Jewish Senior Life of
Metropolitan Detroit, Congregation
Shaarey Zedek in Southfield, the Detroit
Institute of Arts and Michigan Opera
Theatre.

Enjoys Being Involved
"I'm not involved in the community just
because of my family's legacy — I enjoy
it:' explains Pamela Applebaum, 46, of
Bloomfield Hills.
She is the daughter of Marcia and
Eugene Applebaum, also of Bloomfield
Hills, where his Arbor Investment Group
is based, and she is vice president of the
company.
"He's my role model for my charity
work;' she says. "I don't stick with the
same boards and committees all the
time. I like transitions, moving around
from place to place. I was on the Hillel

"I think most of the young people
in our Jewish community feel blessed
and grateful to have opportunities to
continue their parents' life work."

- Karen Davidson of Bloomfield Hills

[Day School of Metropolitan Detroit] and
Shaarey Zedek boards, but now I devote
a lot of time to the Jewish Community
Center Campus Consortium, with the
facility's experts, to maintain and make
improvements to the campus [Eugene and
Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community
Campus] named for my parents."

For the children and grandchildren
of current community leaders to get
acquainted with Detroit and Israeli causes,
the Federation offers a three-tier arrange-
ment:
• For those ages 30-35, there's the Jody
and Adam Becker Group program of
monthly discussions and missions to
Israel.
• For ages 35-45, there's the Grosfeld
Leadership Group program of service on
Federation committees and Israel trips.
• For those older than 45, there's the
Jane and Larry Sherman Leadership
Development program for study trips
abroad for small groups of people already
playing leadership roles.
"One of the most critical areas of focus
for us at Federation is the need to create
a vibrant, committed community here
in Detroit for the next and future gen-
erations:' says Douglas Bloom, current
Federation president.
"To that end, we have developed
NextGen. This is the area where we engage
all young people, even the children of
our most important and current lead-
ers. Generosity has to be felt before it is
learned. The children of Detroit's philan-
thropists are already there.
"It is my desire to spread this message
of the importance of the community and
one generation caring for the next and
future generations to this group of young
people. Some already get it and some, if
not all, will get it.
"The next generation is very important
to the future viability of our Jewish corn-
munity and our Jewish survival. I am glad
to say that there are signs that we are get-
ting through, but we have much to do.
"We must still rely upon the strength of
our Annual Campaign while showing the
next generation the importance of their
being a part of our future Jewish corn-
munity."

Generation on page 18

February 2 • 2012

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