>> ... Next Generation ...

Creating A
Vibrant City

Miryam Rosenzweig

NEXTGen Detroit is bringing young Jewish Detroiters together.

t's been a phenomenal time for
NEXTGen Detroit, a division of the
Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, according to director Miryam
Rosenzweig. In the last two years, the
department has engaged nearly 5,000
young Jewish Detroiters, a 400 percent
increase over 2010, as well as doubled its
donor base from 1004 in 2010 to 2,300 in
2012.
"Our successful model is based on
engaging and micro-targeting our
members with programs relevent to them,"
Rosenzweig says.
NEXTGen Detroit is focused on engaging
young Jews here at home as well as
connecting with former Detroiters now
living in other communities with the hopes
of bringing them back home.
"A growing number of expats have
chosen to move back to Detroit after
attending one of our annual events,"

says president-elect of NEXTGen Detroit,
Rachel Wright, who adds that she knows
of people who moved
to Detroit after Tribe
Fest who weren't
originally from around
here. "Our efforts have
been getting national
attention, and that has
resulted in many people
moving back home."
Rachel Wright
Some of those annual
events include Latke
Vodka, which drew close to 1,000 people
this year; Pitch for Detroit, an annual
softball tournament and fund-raiser, which
this year will provide social action micro-
grants to those working to make Detroit a
better place; and the EPIC event, the yearly
fundraiser that will be held this year on
March 9.
Much of the success can be credited

to a new model for building community
within the 21 to 45-year old age group,
which micro-targets specific age groups
within that range. "We know there is a
big difference between a single 20 year
old and a married 35 year old with kids,"
Rosenzweig says, "and our programming
reflects that."
CommunityNEXT is the division within
NEXTGen Detroit that targets the younger
demographic with events like EPIC and
Pitch for Detroit and programs like summer
internships and Summer Term, a program
for new grads that
provides an opportunity
for younger adults to
make a difference in
the city. "Our goal is to
get people from feeling
like individual Jews who
happen to live in Detroit
to feeling like members
Marty Maddin

of the Detroit Jewish community," says
Marty Madden, NEXTGen Detroit president.
Other departments of NEXTGen Detroit
include Experience Israel, which helps
connect young Jewish students and
professionals to the Jewish homeland;
Annual Campaign, bringing Federation's
mission and relevance to this age group
at events like Latke Vodka; Leadership
Development, providing opportunities
to build the next generation of Jewish
communal leadership; and the NEXTGen hub,
which is being built right now to focus on
programming to engage the 30- to 45- year-
old crowd, such as a planned young Jewish
business conference with Hebrew Free Loan.
The goal, says Maddin, is to make Detroit
a vibrant and meaningful home for young
Jews of every age, "a place where meaning
can be found in every facet of life, from
professional to social, religious to cultural
and more."

❑

Event

Back
Aom Boca

--

CommunityNEXT bar night
draws a crowd.

I

he toughest part about coming back from vacation is adjusting to
the colder climate. Well, Federation's CommunityNEXT had the right
idea by heating things up at The Bosco in Ferndale on Jan. 12.
The "Back From Boca"-themed event drew more than 250 young
adults. The atmosphere was vibrant, exactly what the organizers were hoping
for. Jay Noonchester, owner of the bar, raved about the evening: "A true young
professional crowd with class and sophistication," he said.
Things went so well, in fact, that The Bosco offered to continue the
partnership with CommunityNEXT with monthly events at no cost.
Bobby Gross, who works at The Bosco, put the wheels in motion when
he came to CommunityNEXT with hopes of hosting a charitable event.
CommunityNEXT associate director Rachel Lachover, along with committee
chairs, Matt Ran and Sara Bloomberg, jumped at the opportunity.
In the end, inclement weather didn't stop young adults from showing up.
While there was a great turnout, including many CommunityNEXT regulars,
there were also many new faces, especially in the younger CommuntyNEXT
demographic.
To stay up to date on future events, check out www.communitynxt.com . ❑

' I,1
■ More than 250 people came to party at

'

CommunityNEXT's "Back From Boca" bar night.

Steve.
lealon 844 Aaron

from -eke a break
f un to Pose
for t he h Camera.

BaSSIMOUIN

BaSSirpOUr

Arlene Hodari, Gillian
take a break from the action.

Jordan Rosenberg

24 January 24 • 2013

Mike

and