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Nat-to-nal/ St

The second in a series showcasing
young Jewish Detroiters making
their mark on communities
across the country.

N

ADAM FINKEL I SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

of yet 30, David Dworin has already built
his own NYC-based consulting practice
and, at the same time, has been selected
for prestigious board and fellowship
opportunities in the Jewish community. At Dworin
Consulting, he advises professional services firms on
strategy, management and growth.
He also serves as a pro-bono consultant through the
Taproot Foundation, a nonprofit that makes business
talent available to organizations working to improve
society. This past year, he was selected for the Shapiro
Family Fellowship, one of 14 NYC residents deemed
"future leaders of the worldwide Jewish community." In
this elite program, participants connect with their peers
and mentors in the United States and Israel. As part of
UJA's Observership program, he sits on the board of the
Mosholu Montefiore Community Center.
In the short time he's lived in the Big Apple, Dworin
is "one to watch" because he's already made an impact
on Jewish life in NYC. He is an example of how native
Detroiters in the millennial generation are finding ways
to balance professional objectives alongside serious
communal and philanthropic roles.

David Dworin
(New York, NY)

Age: 29

Profession:
Management
Consultant at Dworin
Consulting

High School/year:
Andover High School,
2002

College/year:
Michigan State
University, 2005

Grad school/year:
University of Michigan
School of Information,
2006

What has your involvement been like?

So far we've had an intense two-week trip to
Israel in addition to a handful of meetings back
in the states. The trip to Israel was phenomenal.
While I've been to Israel twice, this trip was like
no other. We engaged with all walks of Israeli life
to learn about Israel as a society, not as a tourist
destination or historical landmark.

What inspired your involvement in the
Taproot Foundation?

I've served as a volunteer consultant on two separate
service grants for the Taproot Foundation, one in
Chicago and one here in New York. Taproot provided
an opportunity for me to volunteer in a way that
leveraged my professional skills — rather than just
stuffing envelopes or packing boxes (which are also
important!). I think it came from a combination of a
number of factors — working with nonprofits and
seeing how they could benefit from professional
expertise honed in the business world. I volunteered
because I want to make the world a better place and
thought I could make a difference.

What led you to get involved in Jewish
initiatives in New York, as someone who
grew up outside of the community?

Connecting with Jewish initiatives didn't have to
do with geography. I've tried to do it wherever
I've lived. It can be tough to break into a new
community where it seems like everybody already
knows each other, but I've found that if you're
willing to show up, do the work and sometimes
push through the bureaucracy, most institutions
are happy to have you.
To me, a big part of Judaism is tikkun olam,
making the world a better place. Jewish
philanthropic and service organizations are a great
way to do that, so it's always been an important
part of how I connect to my community.

Home Synagogue:
Congregation Shaarey
Zedek, Southfield

How would you compare/contrast the
need for engagement of young Jews
at an organized vs. a grassroots level?

Parents: Barbara and
Jeffrey Dworin

It's really critical to engage young Jews at both
levels. At an organized level, many institutions
struggle to engage young Jews. The messages
they use to appeal to older donors — about crises
in Israel or anti-Semitism — turn off younger
donors. And a lot of these institutions need
money to operate (I get that), but the pay-to-play
nature of a lot of Jewish institutions can be a big
turnoff to people early in their careers, who then
feel disengaged.
So the organized Jewish community needs to
make sure it's doing a great job engaging Jewish
young people, especially future leaders.
At the same time, some of the most interesting
things are happening at the grass roots — at
Shabbat dinners in people's homes, through cool
cultural experiments, and with small groups at
temples and synagogues.
I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. The
grassroots needs the support from the organized
community to grow into the mainstream. And
the organized community needs to engage

Siblings: Heidi, Amy
and Jonathan

How would you describe the Shapiro Family
Fellowship?

Dworin: The Shapiro Family Fellowship brings
together a diverse group of future Jewish leaders
for a year of intense leadership development,
starting with a trip to Israel and followed by
monthly meetings throughout the year. Instead
of giving us answers, it challenges us to ask
questions — about Israel, about our Jewish
identities and about Jewish life.

34 October 10 • 2013

DI EwEcor

a.

with young people if
it wants to ensure its
survival.

In what ways did
your upbringing
influence your
interest in Israel and the Jewish community?

My mom has been a Jewish educator for most
of my life, and one of the most important things
in her classroom, and in our family, was Jewish
values. She made sure that we learned about
tikkun olam, tzedakah and gimilut chasadim [acts
of lovingkindness]. We had Shabbat dinners every
week, went to Jewish summer camps and were
involved in our synagogue. We went to every
Jewish volunteer event we could.
But we were also involved in the broader
community — we volunteered at Baldwin House,
which serves primarily non-Jewish clients.

How do you maintain a connection to the
Jewish Detroit community?

I make it back to Detroit a few times a year, and
I try to go to Jewish events if they're happening
while I'm in town. I went to last year's Latke
Vodka, and it was about ten times the size I
remembered from its early years. I also will talk to
my friends and family about what's going on in
the city, and pay attention to news that makes its
way out. As a Detroiter living outside of Detroit,
you notice any news article about the city and
think "those are my people."
Being a Detroiter who lives outside Detroit is
an interesting experience. When the city went
through its bankruptcy, people would come
up to me and ask "is your family OK?" As if it
were my family going bankrupt. The opposite
happened after the first "Imported from Detroit"
commercials a few years ago, when all of a
sudden Detroit was cool again.

What advice would you offer Detroit or
the Jewish community with regards to
attracting/retaining young Jews?

Be welcoming to new people. Moving to a new
community is hard, and moving to a new Jewish
community can be even harder.
Create opportunities for people to get involved
in a way that's low risk. I like volunteer projects
more than mixers or social events because it gives
you something to do while you meet new people,
and you're giving back at the same time.
Detroit has a unique opportunity to innovate
when it comes to Jewish life, but they need to be
willing to abandon "the way things have always
been done." Try challenging new programs and
overturn the old way of doing things, even if the
geezers complain.
In the end, attracting and retaining younger
Jews is hard, for the same reason that attracting
and retaining young people to Detroit is hard. You
need job opportunities that will let them apply
their skills, challenge themselves professionally
and grow into new opportunities.

❑

