where you belong RabbiMatthewZerwekh’s ’s Installation Weekend FridayNovember2nd@7:00pm Installation Shabbat service with Rabbi Ken Kantor of Hebrew Union College, followed by an oneg sponsored by Rabbi Zerwekh’s family SaturdayNovember3rd 9:30am Torah study with Rabbis Kanter and Zerwekh 10:30am Shabbat service, followed by kiddush Come Celebrate with Us! Saturday Night An evening with Emmy Award-winning and Golden Globe-nominated writer, actress, and comedian Monica Piper 7:00 Hors d’oeuvres and wine, followed by Havdalah 8:30 Comedy performance Sponsorship Opportunities 9:30 Dessert afterglow include tickets and listing in the evening’s program. Tickets $100 per person r2NCVKPWO 4 tickets, reserved seats, brunch with the rabbi Purchase tickets or a sponsorship level by choosing the Installation Celebration Tickets link on the Temple’s website: emanuel-mich.org, LÞV>ˆ˜}Ì i“>ˆ˜œvwVi>Ì (248) 967-4020, or by emailing TempleFamily@emanuel-mich.org by October 29 r)QNF 4 tickets, reserved seats r5KNXGTVKEMGVU r$TQP\GVKEMGVU r$TCUUVKEMGVU Temple Emanu-El 14450 W. Ten Mile Road, Oak Park, MI 48237 24 October 18 • 2018 jn Progressive Powerhouse Native Detroiter’s ‘Tech For Campaigns’ is helping to elect Democrats in eight states. Jessica Alter JASON HENRY FOR THE NEW YORK TIMES, USED WITH PERMISSION Temple Emanu-El jews in the d KARLEIGH STONE SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS B loomfield Hills native, now San Francisco resident, Jessica Alter, 39, is a tech entrepreneur who has put her skills to use to help change America’s political climate. A feeling of discontent with the country’s leadership led Alter to start the nonprofit organization, Tech For Campaigns — a network of more than 8,700 volunteers providing technolog- ical talent to progressive and centrist political campaigns to help candidates implement digital strategies. Alter, Entrepreneur in Residence at Social Capital, a company whose mis- sion is to harness technology to address core human needs, says creating Tech for Campaigns was a way to put her skills to good use. Her motivation hit its peak just days before President Donald Trump’s inauguration. “I returned from traveling and it was a week before the inauguration,” Alter says. “There was a succession of awful events, including the Muslim ban, and that pushed me over the edge. “I felt like I needed to do something that made a bigger impact. That was my motivation.” A strong Jewish upbringing taught Alter that in adverse situations it’s important to take action. “This is why I start companies, because I want to be involved in solving the problem,” she says. In addition to Tech For Campaigns, in 2012, Alter started FounderDating, a network for entrepreneurs and advisers. Alter earned a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Michigan and then received her MBA from Harvard Business School. Growing up in Michigan, she attended Hillel Day School and then Andover High School, while attending Temple Israel in West Bloomfield for services. She is the daughter of Peter Alter and the late Ellen Alter. Making An Impact At Home Tech For Campaigns is focusing on the Michigan Senate as part of its endeav- ors, and Alter is happy to help. “It’s a good feeling to be able to sup- port campaigns across the state I grew up in,” she says. While the organization works with both federal and state races, 70 percent of volunteer efforts are geared toward state legislatures. Why? According to a blog by Greg Dale, director of cam- paign relations at Tech For Campaigns, many state legislatures are within a few seats of flipping control of a chamber or breaking a Republican supermajority. Alter’s organization is focusing on eight states in 2018. Michigan was cho- sen after predictive modeling showed Democrats have a solid chance to retake at least one state chamber this year. “Democrats spend 10 cents per dollar on digital, while Republicans spend 40 cents,” Alter says. “[Democrats] under- stand it’s important, but they don’t know how to do it. They’re looking for help, and we have a small army of peo- ple waiting to donate their skills.” Volunteers with a knack for web development, social media, data anal- ysis, digital marketing and more are lining up to help. “Most people right now want to be able to do more; they’re frustrated,” Alter says. “They’re involved by giving money or voting; but they need another way, and we needed to give them a way to do it. They donate their skills.” Alter is hopeful that the Nov. 6 elec- tion will have a longer term of engage- ment from voters, and she knows Tech For Campaigns can facilitate that. “2018 is an exciting time because there are so many candidates who people are rallying around,” she says. “Hopefully, a long-lasting effect of this election is a true shift about how people engage in elections and their candi- dates.” ■ CONNECT ON SOCIAL MEDIA Website: techforcampaigns.org Facebook: @techforcampaigns Twitter: @tech4campaigns