Detroit's Appeal
CommunityNEXT's Summer Term shows young adults what Detroit has to offer.
NICOLE GOODMAN I IN INTERN
F
or the past three summers, CommunityNEXT has
been bringing together groups of young adults
who are home from college to show them all that
Detroit has to offer. This annual project is called
Summer Term, and this year it runs until Aug. 25.
Rachel Taubman of Farmington Hills, who is coordinating
the program this year, says, "We want programming that will
target college students when they're home for the summer to
show them that Detroit is a viable place
for them to be in the future and that
there's a lot to do for fun when they're
home from school."
Summer Term aims to show students
what Detroit has to offer them as a place
to settle after they graduate by not only
showing them job opportunities available
in the city, but also the social aspects of
Rachel
Motown.
Taubman
"If we have the jobs here, they still
need something fun to do, so we're showing them that there
is lots of programming going on for them," Taubman says.
During Summer Term, a variety of different types of
programming, such as Tigers games, Shabbat dinners and Torah
on Tap, draws in a variety of people.
"This is a way for them to connect with the community
while they're home from college," Taubman says. "It's an
Popular CommunityNEXT events outside of Summer Term
introduction to our Jewish community. We're here to offer
include Latke Vodka during Thanksgiving and the Detroit Epic
them fun summer programs and then show them that
Event, which drew close to 800 people last year. Events such as
NEXTGen and CommunityNEXT have programs to offer
the Do It For Detroit Fund's micro-grant competitions happen
them beyond Summer Term and that there's a young adult
multiple times throughout the year, including during Summer
community here that they can connect to."
Term on Thursday, June 27.
Summer Term incorporates some of CommunityNEXT's
For more information on upcoming CommunityNEXT
monthly events, such as Torah on Tap at Dick O'Dows
Summer Term events, visit www.communitynxt.com/
in Birmingham and Good Shabbos Dinners at different
summerterm, or contact Rachel Taubman at taubman@jfmd.
synagogues in the community. These events "engage our
org or (248) 205-2545. ❑
young adults where they're at," Taubman
says, "meeting them at the bar or for
a Shabbat dinner once a month to get
Upcoming
JUNE
together."
Summer
June 4: Tigers vs. Rays at
There are also events during Summer
Term
Comerica Park, 7:08 p.m.
Term that are exclusive to summer, such as
Events
(Ticket giveaways through social
a kayaking trip. For her, the most exciting
media; follow Summer Term on
event coming up is Live! Work! Play! In
Facebook)
the D! on Monday, July 29. This event
June 11: CNXT Bar Night at Local
takes young adults into Downtown Detroit
MAY
212, Royal Oak, 8 p.m.
and shows them around, tells them about
May 23: Summer Term Kickoff
June 21: Good Shabbos Detroit
businesses and start-ups and introduces
at Como's, Ferndale, 7:30 p.m.
at Congregation Shaarey Zedek
them to other young adults already living
May 30: Torah on Tap at Dick
in Southfield (RSVP necessary to
there; it is a chance to network and make
O'Dows, Birmingham, 8 p.m.
summerterm@communityNXT.
connections in the city.
com)
upcoming events
The Return Of
Nate Fridson
Local comedian Nate Fridson returns to the Detroit area for a headline
engagement at Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle on Memorial Weekend. After
years of blanketing southeast Michigan with his unique material, Fridson
moved to Brooklyn to do the same in New York.
"Getting to headline Mark Ridley's
Comedy Castle is a real honor," Fridson said.
"It's one of the things Detroit comics dream
about — I have to pinch myself. It's one of
the best clubs in the country because Mark
takes an active interest in helping comics
develop."
A Huntington Woods native, Fridson
began performing stand-up in college before
making Detroit his home base. His material
reflects the various places he's lived as well
as the cities he's traveled to as a performer.
Fridson said he will never lose his love for
the Detroit area, its sports teams and its great people.
Fridson's travels as a stand-up comedian have taken him to the Laughing
Skull Festival in Atlanta, the Bridgetown Comedy Festival in Portland and a
stint overseas to perform for U.S. troops in Okinawa. He has also spent the
last year opening shows for the Sklar Brothers in a variety of cities.
Shows are Thursday, May 23, at 8 p.m., Friday, May 24, at 9:30 p.m.
and Saturday, May 25, at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 Thursday; $15 Friday
and Saturday. Opening for Fridson are feature act Amaru and emcee Corey
Latarski. For reservations, visit comedycastle.com or call (248) 542-9900.
R
THE w•R 1 . 1)
Yad Ezra
Feeding Hungry lendsh Families
ICTEZ -7
I
Do It For Detroit
Tackles Hunger
The Do It For Detroit Fund will be
partnering with Yad Ezra to award micro-
grants to initiatives in Detroit that look
to both alleviate hunger and promote
volunteer service in the city. This is the
third round of micro-grant competitions
from the Do It For Detroit Fund.
Applications for Do It For Detroit Fund
hunger micro-grants are now available
online. The application deadline is June
7. The Do It For Detroit Fund Hunger
Competition, in which participants vote
for the winner, will be on June 27 —
venue to be announced.
Administered by CommunityNEXT, a
division of NEXTGen Detroit at the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, and
in partnership with the national Jewish
service organization Repair the World,
the Do It For Detroit Fund provides
micro-grants, ranging from $500-$3,000
to support grassroots initiatives aimed
at promoting positive social change in
Detroit.
Applicants must be 18 years old and
need not be Jewish to apply.
The funding for the Do It For Detroit
Fund came from the fundraising efforts
during the Pitch for Detroit softball
tournament in August 2012. For more
information, visit www.doitfordetroit.com .
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