>> ... Next Generation ...

The
Mitzvah
Initiative

Safran, Jaimee Wine and Aaron Scheinfield make

Young Jewish
professionals
give from within
to make a
difference.

friends with a young Detroiter at Greening of

Detroit.

ankruptcy attorney
by day. Community
volunteer by night. For
years, volunteering
and giving back to the community
have been like second nature to
me. It's in my blood.
Several years ago, I had the
privilege of traveling to New
Orleans with motivated members
of our Jewish community to
assist firsthand with the enduring
devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
Even several years after the
disaster, relief was on its way. My peers and I got down
on our hands and knees in the pouring rain and helped
build a community center in the Lower Ninth Ward by

Detroiter Named
To National Post

Local young leader named
chair designate for Young
Leadership Cabinet.

Robb Lippitt

28

May 3 2012

Stuart Solomon, Jodi Beals, Matt Kaminsky, Hy

painting murals on the walls, building a soccer field and
assembling picnic tables.
Fortunately, many of the young adults in the
Metropolitan Detroit area share the same sentiments as I
do. A common desire to help others led to the formation
of the Mitzvah Initiative, the brainchild of our current
committee, YAD Community Events.
As the chairperson, the mission of our task force
is simple: take advantage of existing events in the
community to create leadership, volunteer and
involvement opportunities for young adults. Programs may
be ongoing or one-time experiences with agencies within
and outside of the Jewish community.
At our monthly meetings, the committee meets at the
Federation building to brainstorm ideas brought to YAD in
an effort to plan, vet, promote and/or recruit for various
programs suggested by taskforce members.
Since starting the Mitzvah Initiative only two years ago,
we have participated in a plethora of hands-on activities
around the community, including playing bingo with
Fleischman residents; engaging in urban gardening in
Detroit; working with Greening of Detroit to plant trees
in Detroit; organizing a toiletry drive with JVS to assist
homeless people in Detroit; partnering with Focus:HOPE
to assist with minor home repairs, lawn care and painting;
supporting a drinks and discussion event with cancer
survivor Jonny Imerman; participating in volunteer
initiatives through JFS Fall Fix Up; promoting the popular

lAir

est Bloomfield resident Robb Lippitt was
named chair-designate for the Jewish
Federations of North America National
Young Leadership. Lippitt shares this role
with Alison Lebovitz of Chattanooga, Tenn. The two will
serve as chairs-designate next year and then assume their
chairmanship of NYL in June 2013.
National Young Leadership Cabinet is the premier
leadership and philanthropic program within the Jewish
Federations of North America (JFNA) and throughout
the Jewish world. Other Detroiters who have chaired
National Young Leadership include Stanley Frankel, Larry
Jackier and Jane Sherman.
Lippitt is currently serving as membership co-chair for
the Jewish Federations of North America National Young
Leadership. Previously, he served as co-chair of Outreach
and Engagement for National Young Leadership; past co-
chair of Cabinet Study Mission to Morocco and past Detroit
Men's Young Leadership Cabinet chair. Currently, Lippitt is
an officer of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit;
chair of the NextGen Detroit Advisory Committee and
board member of Tamarack Camps.

Drinks, Drinks and Discussions series with Partners in
Torah and Rabbi Leiby Burnham; and so much more.
Perhaps our biggest event yet is the upcoming Lag
b'Omer Barbeque Blowout. As Community Events
partners with Jewish Life, these two committees, along
with our sponsor, Torah on Tap, will celebrate Lag b'Omer
in style. On May 9 from 8-10:30 p.m., young adults
ages 21 to 45 will gather at the Friendship Circle, 6892
W. Maple Road, West Bloomfield, to experience an event
like no other.
For only $5, enjoy this catered event with beer, burgers,
salad, soda, hot dogs, wine, cocktails, chips, treats and so
much more. And, oh, did I mention bonfire and s'mores?
Dietary laws observed. Register now online at www.
jewishdetroit.org/YAD.
Co-chairs for this event are myself, Leah Bold, Rabbi
Leiby Burnham, Brandon Pomish and Jodi Satovsky.
There is so much opportunity in our community and
passion among our young adults. The Community Events
taskforce has enthusiastic volunteers and is looking
for additional young adults to keep the momentum
going. To learn more and become an active part of the
taskforce, or to get involved with any of our NEXTGen
taskforces, contact Tara Forman at the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit at (248) 642-1645 or via email at
forman@jfmd.org . We have simply scratched the surface
and cannot wait to plan more events and continue to get
the young adults in the community engaged and involved.
For me, giving back to the community has always
been a top priority. When you truly give from within and
don't expect anything in return, the intrinsic benefits and
rewards are immeasurable.
Why do people volunteer? Because one person can
truly make a great difference. Giving your time, sharing
your experience and working on behalf of others without
being motivated by financial or material gain can mean
the world of difference to those less fortunate.
Consider the following inspirational quotes: "If you
want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else." Or, just
remember: "A pessimist, they say, sees a glass of water as
being half empty; an optimist sees the same glass as half
full. But, a giving person sees a glass of water and starts
looking for someone who might be thirsty."
We have a lot of work to do. And we're only getting
started. ❑

Aaron Scheinfield is a bankruptcy attorney at
the law firm of Goldstein, Bershad & fried, RC in
Southfield

"I am so appreciative of this incredible honor and, even
more, for the opportunity to represent Detroit nationally.
I will do my best to follow in the immense footsteps of
Jane Sherman, Stanley Frankel and Larry Jackier who each
previously served as chair," Lippitt said.
"Detroit is already the leader in finding new ways
to engage young adults in the Jewish community, and
I look forward to using my leadership tenure to share
our forward thinking with the rest of the Federation
system, and also to bring back great ideas from other
communities we can implement here."
"I'm thrilled for Robb and thrilled for Detroit," said
Larry Jackier, former National Young Leadership chair and
past president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit. "It is wonderful for our community to be
represented on a national level."
Scott Kaufman, CEO of the Jewish Federation
of Metropolitan Detroit, said, "Robb has a unique
combination of skills in that he is both very creative as
well as very strategic. Combine this with his deep passion
for community and Klal Yisrael — he is the perfect choice
to lead an important national Jewish organization." ❑