>> ... Next Generation ...

Potluck Shabbat

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Forum-like Shabbats connect young
professionals with political leaders.

ADAM KESSLER I SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

C ark Durant with Brett Turner and .

Clark Durant with Allie Pilkowitz and Adam

Brittany Turner

Kessler

F

or centuries, the center of Roman public
life was the Forum. It was a marketplace,
but served a higher calling than Somerset.
It was the central meeting place, but more
dynamic than Starbucks. It saw debate, elections,
speeches and the real breath of democracy that kept
the Republic alive. Participation was free.
Though the Roman Republic's view on democracy
helped to inspire our country's founding, the closest
thing modern America has to the Forum is the one
that bears its name in Inglewood, Calif., an arena
that played host to the 1984 Olympics and saw
Magic Johnson become magical.
As the political world becomes more and more
disconnected, and politicians take on more of a
celebrity status than that of a diplomat, it's only
fitting that Wayne Gretzky's mecca is our modern
Forum.
In June, I met Clark Durant at the Mackinac Policy
Conference. He was a promising candidate for U.S.
Senate in Michigan's Republican primary. In our
brief conversation, I expressed my frustration with
the modern political process, an environment that
has become drastically inconsistent with the original
ideals of the Roman Forum.
In today's practice of politics, not only do you
need money to run, but you also need money
to engage, to be active and interact with the
candidates you vote for.
Sure, you can tweet at them or send them a poke
on Facebook, but if you want to interact the old-
fashioned way — person-to-person — you need
to open your wallet. In most cases, having money
has become a pre-requisite to engage with political
leaders and candidates at high levels. It leaves the
recent college graduate and young professional on
the sideline.
Durant offered a unique perspective. In his own
eloquent and motivational way, he helped me
balance my own nostalgia for returning to the
ways of the modern forum with the realities and
necessities of today's modern political atmosphere.
He challenged me to create an atmosphere that
promoted my own beliefs, my hopes of creating
an open atmosphere where money was not a
deciding factor, and also taught me the benefits
of understanding the game and how it's played.
You need to push a hybrid of both, one is a tool to
promote the other.

40

August 16 2012

Along my journey to create this dynamic
atmosphere of interaction and engagement, Durant
was a champion who taught me the necessity of
embracing realities in an effort to push the ideal.

Recreating The Forum
On Friday, July 27, in Birmingham, we re-created
the original Forum and facilitated the true inten-
tions of democracy, providing a free environment to
engage with a major political candidate.
Our potluck Shabbat with Durant saw more
than 30 Jews from Metro Detroit come together,
Democrats and Republicans, all of whom found
themselves lighting candles and igniting their minds
with a major U.S. Senate candidate. The questions
were a mixture of fun and challenging; they were
engaging, and they were real. It was an intimate,
non-fundraising setting, all while celebrating the
Sabbath in a hom setting.
Durant wasted no time making the group of
young Jews feel right at home. His conversation
with us mirrored that of a Jewish mother in line
for takeout at Steve's Deli. Almost immediately,
he began talking passionately about the
accomplishments of his kids, two of whom also
attended our Shabbat dinner in Birmingham.
His ability to play the Jewish mother role was
impressive, spot on.
When asked why young people don't engage
in politics, or why it is not thought of as a priority,
two answers stood out: (1) It's too difficult to keep
up with, the barriers of entry are too high; and (2)
With all the pressures of schooling and career, our
generation is more self-focused and less concerned
with policies set for the broader masses.
Durant's response was simple, yet profound. He
explained that regardless which side of the aisle
you're comfortable in, if you don't engage, than
who will?

Enthusiastic Response
I met my girlfriend, Rachel Miller, two years ago
using a far more effective tool for Jewish dating
than JDate: a Delta flight from West Palm Beach to
Detroit.
Her layover in Detroit turned into an eventual move
from Cincinnati, and almost a year later she said
the forum Shabbat gave her a new perspective. "I
felt like Clark called me out, he challenged me," she

Clark Durant engages with a group of 30 young
professionals at the potluck Shabbat.

said. "I'm a Detroiter now, and although I spend time
Downtown and am engaged with CommunityNEXT, I
need to do more to learn about the real issues of the
city and of Michigan. It's my home."
She's committed herself to spending three
hours per week learning about the issues until the
November election.
"I thought it was awesome," said Brett Turner, a
former Temple Beth El classmate that I was able to
reconnect with through this Shabbat. "He's actually
a pretty cool dude, and he's done a lot. We should
definitely do more of these."
And we will. As November approaches, I plan on
hosting more forums like the Shabbat with Clark
Durant, allowing the next generation of Americans
the opportunity to interface and engage with major
political candidates in a cost-free, non-fundraising
setting.
Although our goal is to help create an open
forum for congressional and senatorial candidates
on both sides of the aisle, we'd keep the door open
for Barack and/or Mitt. Our next Shabbat is planned
for Aug. 24, and we hope to have Rep. Gary Peters,
a Democrat, as our guest.
On Aug. 7, Clark Durant lost his bid for the
GOP nomination to face Debbie Stabenow in the
Michigan Senate race. Although I have not had the
privilege of interacting with his winning opponent,
Pete Hoekstra, my brief interactions with Durant and
his family leave me to believe his loss is a missed
opportunity for America.
In an era where the campaign focus is to raise big
dollars, for any candidate to spend a Friday night at
a non-fundraising event is impressive. But to do it
the second to last Friday before an election, after
picking up major endorsements from people like
Steve Forbes, well that's just extraordinary. It speaks
to character, integrity and democratic values. It
speaks to leadership.
I want to thank Clark Durant for keeping his word
and enjoying a nice Shabbat dinner with us, and I
would encourage others to follow suit. So who else
can speak to leadership? Calling all leaders, are you
available for our Shabbat forum? We've made the
challah, join us.

❑

We are working on our website, but for more
information, email me at adam@kesslerltd.com .