jews d

Leading by

in
the

JOHN HARDWICK

Example

Meet Ilana
Block,
NEXTGen
Detroit’s new
president.

BECKY HURVITZ
SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

F

or those who know her
well, there was a sense of
what was to come when
Ilana Goldberg Block took
the stage and centered herself
behind the podium at NEXTGen
Detroit’s Annual Meeting last
month. And for those who didn’t,
what followed was a powerfully
moving jolt. No one in the audi-
ence that night will soon forget
the address given by NEXTGen
Detroit’s new president.
“During my term, I want to
focus on leadership that is inten-
tional, purposeful and meaning-
ful. To me, passion is contagious,
and if I can inspire those who
will inspire others, I will have
succeeded.”
If the annual meeting is any
indication, she’s off to a sensa-
tional start. Her words, a moti-
vating reminder to everyone
there, told the story of a family’s
legacy, the importance of com-
munity and the joy of coming
home.

FROM NEW YORK CITY TO
NEXTGEN DETROIT

TOP: Ilana Block
ABOVE: Ilana and Adam Block

Like so many of her peers at
the time, Block left Detroit after
college to pursue her career. An
alum of Hillel Day School and a
member of the first graduating

class of Frankel Jewish Academy,
she lost no love for her home-
town or hope that she would one
day return.
“I always knew that I would
come back to Detroit if at all
possible, but marrying [my hus-
band] Adam threw a wrinkle into
that once he began working on
Wall Street.”
Adam, a Cleveland native,
and Ilana met while they both
were studying at the University
of Michigan. While there, Ilana
was active in Jewish life on
campus and Jewish causes. She
also studied a year abroad in
Israel and had internships at
the Jewish Agency for Israel and
the Jerusalem Post. But when it
came time for the young couple
to begin their careers, Adam in
finance and Ilana in law, oppor-
tunities took them to New York.
“Sure enough, though, it was
a connection in this Jewish
community that allowed us to
return by offering Adam a special
opportunity to work within Dan
Gilbert’s family of companies.”
Ilana and Adam moved back
to Detroit in 2009 while most
of her friends from growing up
were living elsewhere. Newly
married and newly returned,
Ilana went back to her com-

munity roots to begin this new
chapter of her life.
“Initially my intentions were
self-serving. Getting involved
with Federation was a way for
me to make new friends and net-
work for my career. I remember
walking into Como’s the summer
we moved back for a YAD [what
is now called NEXTGen Detroit]
Couples happy hour. That’s when
Alexis Schostak approached
me. She was also a lawyer who
had moved here from New York.
Alexis took me under her wing
and made sure to help me con-
tinue my engagement at every
point. That’s when I realized that
it’s all about personal connec-
tions.
“Years later, when I started to
give back, I hoped to be the same
type of connector for others
seeking communal involvement.”
After that first YAD Couples
event, Ilana hit the ground run-
ning. She participated in Entrée,
NEXTGen Detroit’s entry-level
leadership development pro-
gram, and was assigned a men-
tor, Dr. Jen Friedman, a past
president of Federation’s YAD.
“I remember Dr. Friedman say-
ing to me, ‘I think you’re going to
be sitting in my seat one day.’”
From there, Ilana joined the

NEXTGen Detroit Board, led
couples programming and an
Entrée class, and then served as
co-chair of NEXTGen Detroit’s
Campaign.
“Every year, I would look to
see who was taking the helm as
our president. In my mind, each
of these amazing individuals
brought a unique combination of
talents, and I was in awe of their
dedication. Finally, with the help
of past president Steve Migliore,
I realized it was my turn to step
up.”
Q: Why do you think it is
so important for young adults
to be a part of their Jewish
community?
IB: To me, Jewish commu-
nity is just a larger extension
of what it means to be family.
Sometimes, especially in ado-
lescence, you want to stray from
your family. But as you grow, you
may find your family is actually
great and, more importantly, that
they can provide you something
no one else can. In keeping with
this family metaphor, there are
dynamics in a family. Sometimes
you are giving more than you
take in your relationships. At
other times, you are taking more
than you can give. And that’s
all OK. Like a family, our Jewish

continued on page 18

16

August 10 • 2017

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