36 April 25 • 2019
jn
F
or a long time, my perception
of Jewish Detroit has been
of a suburban-concentrat-
ed community that is completely
disconnected from the city in
which its roots were sown. Now
that I am a second-year student at
Wayne State University in Midtown
Detroit, my perception has unques-
tionably changed.
After arriving on campus, I
had no anticipation of being able
to participate in Jewish activities
on campus. I was unaware of any
Jewish groups on campus and,
being a commuter student, I did
not think I had enough time on
campus to commit myself to these
events. Eventually, I learned of Hillel
of Metro Detroit (HMD) at WSU,
along with Chabad in the D. In
these organizations, I found some-
thing I certainly did not expect: a
revival of Jewish life, specifically
Jewish student life, in Detroit. This
was centralized by the everlasting
symbol of a Jewish gathering, the
Shabbat dinner.
On any given Friday, you can
find Jewish individuals, students
and young professionals alike,
gathered for a Shabbat nosh in
Detroit. Shabbat dinners at HMD
and ChabaD are characterized by
individuals schmoozing with one
another, delving into deep con-
versations and, of course, eating.
Shabbat is a time for self-reflection
and self-discovery, something that
both HMD and Chabad encourage
visitors to explore.
Attending these dinners, I find
myself reflecting on Detroit’
s rich
history of Jewish life and how unfor-
tunate it was that this dissipated over
time. I immediately felt a sense of
responsibility to uphold this incredi-
ble legacy. To be sure, Jewish Detroit
is seeing its revival. From Shabbat
dinners at HMD and ChabaD to the
re-establishment of the WSU chapter
of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity, of
which I am a proud member, orga-
nizations that recognize the need for
Jewish activity in Detroit are finding
their footing.
My hope is that my future chil-
dren will not grow up with the same
notions of a foreign Detroit that I
grew up with, and maybe even call
the city home one day. @
Nisim Nesimov of West Bloomfield is a sopho-
more at Wayne State University. For informa-
tion about Shabbat dinners at Hillel of Metro
Detroit, visit hillel-detroit.com or email
hillelpd@wayne.edu.
for college students by college students
Shabbat Shalom
HMD student refl
ects on wealth of Jewish life in the D.
Nisim Nesimov } jewish@edu writer
HMD students pose for a group photo before a Hillel of Metro Detroit Shabbat dinner.
MEL DRYMAN
Raised in Detroit, Experienced in Arizona
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& Dedicated
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