>> ... Next Generation ...

2XTGeners'4;

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Mcmting
KOOtS

And baby makes three

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VIVIAN HENOCH I SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

W

hen the folks at Federation, Quicken
Loans and NEXTGen Detroit speak of
"attracting, engaging and inspiring"
young families, Heyden and Shari (Katz)
Graham are just the sort of people they have in mind to
return to the city.
Heyden, a businessman originally from Calabasas,
Calif., and Shari, an attorney from Farmington Hills, were
graduate students at the University of Michigan when
they first met in 2005. They still speak of it as beshert — a
meeting meant to be — at a Federation mixer Shari took
part in planning three weeks into Heyden's first year of
business school and her second year of law school.
Married in 2007, Heyden and Shari moved after
graduation to establish careers in New York City, he at
American Express and she at the law firm of Skadden,
Arps, Slate, Meagher and Flom. It was their desire for
proximity to family, a vibrant Jewish community and a
more affordable, accessible city that drew them to Detroit
last year. And ever since, life has been good — and busy.
Working at the pulse of new developments in the city,
Heyden is a senior financial analyst for Quicken Loans.
Shari is an employment attorney and works with the law
office of Sue Ellen Eisenberg and Associates in Bloomfield
Hills. She also recently began working with a startup,
Talks On Law, an innovative forum for discussion on
issues affecting the legal community. Heyden and Shari
are new parents to baby Hannah Joy, born in May.
In addition to their day jobs, Shari and Heyden have
jumped into new roles in the community. Shari serves
on the Federation's NEXTGen Board and on the Adult
Board of Michigan Region BBYO (she served as BBYO's
International President from 1997-1998). Heyden is a
liaison to the Federation's Finance Committee and is also
involved with Hebrew Free Loan of Metropolitan Detroit.
He and Shari also are two of the founders of Kesher
Detroit, an egalitarian, young adult, Carlebach-style
minyan that meets at Congregation Shaarey Zedek in
Southfield, where they are members. Here they answer a
few questions.

You each took time to establish your careers in
New York, yet chose Detroit to build your future.
What opportunities have you found here?

Heyden: New York served as a great launching pad for

50

November 21 • 2013

our careers. We worked hard and played
hard. But we had practically no family
living on the East Coast. So, when we
began thinking about starting a family
of our own, we immediately considered
Detroit because Shari's parents live here.
As I started learning about the
opportunities in Detroit, I kept hearing
more and more about Quicken Loans
and all of the exciting work Dan Gilbert
was engaged in. I knew that working
Heyden, Shari and Hannah Graham
for Dan, who has such passion about
the revitalization of Downtown, would
provide me with a chance to make a significant impact,
while also giving me a front-row seat to the rebirth of a
What drives your community involvement?
great American city. When I came out for an interview, I
Shari: While we are both fortunate to enjoy our day
just fell in love with the company as well as the distinct
jobs, our professions have never defined us. What brought
culture.
us together in grad school, and what keeps us together
Shari: The opportunities that Detroit offers are
today, is our commitment to the values and traditions of
not limited to our day jobs. Here, young adults can
Judaism and our desire to be a part of a dynamic Jewish
meaningfully participate in a number of not-for-profit
community. NYC'S Upper West Side (the 2.5-square-mile
organizations that are the pulse of this community. This
neighborhood where we lived) has approximately the
year, for example, I am co-chairing Federation's Liaison
same number of Jews as all of suburban Detroit (around
Program, where we provide NEXTGen leaders (age 21-
70,000), yet we never experienced the cohesiveness or
45) with the opportunity to serve as guest members on
heimish-ness (warmth) that is one of the hallmarks of
agency boards (such as BBYO, JFS, Tamarack and JVS)
the Detroit Jewish community. Therefore, upon moving,
and Federation committees for a two-year period. Each
the question wasn't, "Are we going to get involved?" but
liaison has the chance to learn from the best, while also
rather, "How quickly can we?"
sharing their own valuable insights with fellow board
members. I doubt that such a unique opportunity exists
What would you tell someone considering moving
in New York City, where young people would be required
back to Metropolitan Detroit or into the city?
to make significant financial contributions to receive a
Heyden: It's a great environment to start your own
seat at the boardroom table.
business. Because Detroit is a smaller market, there is less
competition from large companies, making more room
Any surprises moving to Detroit?
for entrepreneurs to start their own business to serve the
Heyden: How happy people are to live here — even
needs of the city and suburbs.
despite the winter weather! Also, culturally it's super
Shari: There's no perfect city. If there were, everyone
mellow — and that's a good thing. After living in New
would be living there. But Detroit has a lot going for it,
York, I forgot that people could wait in line (and in
not to mention proximity to Ann Arbor and the majestic
traffic) patiently.
Up North. Also, when Detroit friends want to meet up at
Shari: There's a lot of great nightlife in Detroit and not
Coney Island, you must know that they aren't referring to
just the surrounding suburbs; no matter how many times
the iconic amusement park in Brooklyn.
I drive through these traffic circles, I never quite seem to
understand what lane I'm in; and free refills on pop/soda
Vivian Henoch writes for My Jewish Detroit, where this
still exist somewhere in the USA!
story first appeared.

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