16 January 31 • 2019
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continued from page 14

Levine said, “It also speaks to the
resurgence in all areas of the com-
munity experienced over the past few
years. Wexner recognized all of the
wonderful initiatives taking place in
Detroit with its Jewish leadership and
wanted to cultivate and be part of the
great resurgence seen over the past 10
years.
”
Gold said, “The Wexner Heritage
Program is an incredibly rich resource
for the Detroit Jewish community. We
are so fortunate that Wexner chose to
come back to Detroit. The opportunity
to study in a way that develops critical
thinking has been truly inspirational
for me. It’
s been a long time since I’
ve
been able to stretch my brain in this
way. It feels amazing.
“The end result will be a group of
leaders with deepened relationships
and heightened commitment to our
community,
” she said. “We will be
armed with an enhanced skill set to
effectively listen, problem solve and
effect change — and, most important-
ly, the courage to do so.
”
Kristen Gross of Farmington Hills
said, “Experts have assisted me in
honing my personal narrative; suc-
cinctly defining why I devote my time
to Jewish philanthropic work. Wexner
has given me the confidence to be bold
and disruptive in certain areas and a
thoughtful listener in others.
”
Wendy Pittman of Huntington
Woods said, “One of my favorite learn-
ings is that pluralism is fundamental
in Jewish history and this provides us

with a foundation to nurture, support
and grow our community from a place
of acceptance and unity.
”
Rachel Opperer of Huntington
Woods summed it up well: “From the
community’
s standpoint, Wexner has
been a successful investment because
we have taught a diverse group of Jews
to talk with each other, to listen to each
other, to respect each other, differences
notwithstanding. The more opportu-
nities we have for a community to act
like a community, the stronger and
more inviting our community will be.
”
Scott Kaufman, Federation CEO,
hopes to keep the program going in
Detroit.
“In Jewish Detroit, we are blessed
with a great pipeline of dedicated and
talented emerging leaders,
” he said.
“
Among them are a cadre of leaders
experiencing the Wexner program, a
veritable masterclass in Jewish leader-
ship. Wexner participants are devel-
oping expertise in the type of adaptive
leadership that is essential in our
rapidly changing world. Yet they are
also gaining a deeper understanding of
the Jewish texts and ethics that inform
our enduring mission. Sort of a perfect
balance of innovation and tradition
that I see as an essential element of
the Jewish experience throughout our
history.
“Hopefully, our community will
be able to bring the Wexner program
back on a regular basis as I believe the
impact on our community will be pro-
found.
” ■

2017-19 Detroit Cohort

Adam Blanck, Alicia Chandler, Ethan Davidson and Matthew Shiffman, all of
Birmingham; Darren Findling, Gayle Gold, Joshua Levine, Rachel Opperer and
Wendy Pittman, all of Huntington Woods; Adam Finkel, Carolyn Bellinson and
David Kramer, all of Bloomfield Hills; Kristen Gross, Franklin; Reuben Maxbauer
and Sheri Shapiro, both of Farmington Hills; Ruby Robinson, Detroit; Sherrie
Singer and Ilana Stern, both of West Bloomfield; Julie Tepperman, Windsor,
Ontario; and Yoni Torgow, Oak Park.

The Detroit cohort, with Ethan Davidson on guitar

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