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NEXTGen Detroit's Annua
Meeting celebrates
another strong year of
young adult engagement.

BY BECKY HURVITZ I SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

EXTGen Detroit, the young
adult division of the Jewish
Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, held its fourth Annual
Meeting at the West Bloomfield JCC on June
3. More than a meeting, the event was a
celebration of the past year's successes, an
occasion to honor leaders and a tribute to
Federation's long history of inspiring and
engaging young adults to get involved in
their Jewish community.
Once the Junior Division, then the Young
Adult Division (YAD) and now NEXTGen
Detroit, the department has been hard
at work for 77 years providing Jewish
experiences, leadership opportunities and
community connections for the young adults
of Metro Detroit.
"As the third president of NEXTGen
Detroit, I truly inherited a legacy," said Jay
Hack, NEXTGen Detroit's immediate past
president. "For nearly eight decades, the
Detroit community has made the 'next'
generation a priority. But in the last three
years, with the birth of NEXTGen Detroit,
young adult engagement moved to the
forefront of our efforts — and looking
around the room at the Annual Meeting, it
was clear to see that this investment has
certainly paid off."
Hack took office in 2014 with a platform
that focused on inclusivity and activism. Hack
worked to ensure that all those new to the
NEXTGen Detroit community felt welcomed
and that all those already engaged felt

NEXTGen Board 2015-2016

Adam Blanck

Hannan Lis and Rabbi Jay Hack, Miryam
Rosenzweig, Steve Migliore
Leiby Burnham

empowered to grow as leaders,
NEXTGen Detroit have
as volunteers, as ambassadors
created," she said. "Together,
and as activists.
we have changed a national
Under his leadership,
conversation about the role
NEXTGen Detroit held its
communities play in engaging
first leadership program
young adults."
specifically for women, which
was attended by more than
.4 Bright Future
40 people and featured
In three years, Federation's
Florine Mark as the guest
young adult community
speaker. Hack also brought
grew from 1,500 to 5,000
the internationally recognized
participants and from 1,000
Civility Project program to
to
3,100 donors. Detroit's
Rachel Str auss and
Detroit to help board members Brian Sato vsky
NEXTGen department is
have difficult conversations
now a model that is studied
surrounding Israel, and he
and replicated across North
rallied the NEXTGen Detroit community to
America with dozens of communities
come out and support Israel at several anti-
coming here to learn from its success.
BDS events.
Most recently, Phoenix, Toronto, Pittsburgh
The evening was also a farewell to
and St. Louis have visited. NEXTGen
Miryam Rosenzweig, NEXTGen Detroit's first
Detroit has also consulted with multiple
director, who will now be moving into a new
non-Jewish organizations including the
position as senior director of community
United Way and the Association of Chinese
development at Federation.
Americans.
"Almost four years ago, Scott Kaufman
The presentation of the Mark-Lis Family
and Robb Lippitt called me and shared a
Young Leadership Award was also a
vision — that together we could change
highlight of the Annual Meeting. Many who
how communities engage with young
have served on a Federation young adult
adults," Rosenzweig said. "I knew then
board have risen to become some of the
and there that I wanted to be a part of that
most influential leaders in the community.
vision. I wanted to be a part of their team,
The award was created in 1993 to honor
and I wanted to make this happen.
one such leader every year.
"Now, I can look back and see what
"This year's recipient was board member
this community, our lay and professional
Adam Blanck. As the creator of Pitch for
leadership and all of those who supported
Detroit, co-chair of this year's EPIC Event and

an active participant in programs that work
to rebuild and grow the city, Blanck is the
embodiment of a committed and passionate
new generation of Jewish Detroiters," said
NEXTGen Detroit Associate Director Jessica
Goodwin. "Adam has made the city of
Detroit his home and, in the process, he has
helped to make it a home for many other
young Jewish adults."
The event also included the passing
of the gavel from Hack to the 2015-
2016 NEXTGen Detroit President Steve
Migliore and welcomed 11 new directors
to the NEXTGen Detroit Board. Migliore's
presidential platform will focus on four areas:
service, leadership, action and investment.
"I am humbled to have the opportunity
to lead such a remarkable group of talented
and driven individuals who make up this
year's board of directors," Migliore said.
"Together, we will build on the pillars of the
past and grow our community service efforts
and our focus on leadership development.
We will foster community feedback
and discussion, develop nontraditional
engagement efforts and expand affinity
programs to broaden our opportunities for
outreach and engagement.
"I am invested in expanding our
education and enrichment initiatives
to communicate and demonstrate the
numerous ways that dollars impact lives,
and I am confident that this will allow us to
connect with our members in a way that we
previously haven't," he said. ❑

June 18 • 2015

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