Looking Back at
Hillel of Metro Detroit
MARCELLA BLUTH SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS
20 | JULY 2 • 2020
L
ooking back at my
involvement with Hillel
of Metro Detroit seems
odd because it is like looking
back at all my encounters with
my family. Family is there
to challenge you, encourage
you and guide you into the
person you are meant to be. I
know it seems cliché, but the
encouragement and support
of my Hillel family has helped
shape me into the woman I
am today, and for this I am
grateful.
Through Hillel, I have
been a part of J-talk,
Students for Israel, Jewish
Student’s Organization and
the Israel Fellowship, to
name a few. As of last year, I
became the president of the
Jewish Student Organization
and started the Girl’s Night
program at Wayne after
receiving a grant of $4,000
from the Jewish Women’s
Fund for these programs. I
also founded and coordinat-
ed Green is the New Black,
Detroit’s first ever sustain-
able living fashion show. The
fashion show spread aware-
ness about sustainable
fashion, worked with local
Detroit businesses and stu-
dents, inspired people to
find their passion projects
pertaining to sustainability
and demonstrated how to
give back to one’s communi-
ty; over 200 people attended
this event.
Drive and resilience (a
nicer word for stubbornness)
go hand in hand. What keeps
my vision intact is by look-
ing at what is already there
and building on it. There
is a small, budding Jewish
community in Detroit, which
taught me the meaning of
dedication toward stepping
up and making the commu-
nity great. It is never easy
to be the first, but when
you believe in the cause
of repopulating the Jewish
community in Detroit, you
find the drive and motiva-
tion. My boyfriend (Jeremy
Rosenberg) and I have taken
the Jewish future of Detroit
into our own hands.
In addition to building
that community on cam-
pus, we realized it is just as
important to root and build
that community off campus.
We do this through Hillel’s
Shabbat programs to host
Shabbat dinners and lunches.
Cooking for dozens of Jewish
college students is never easy;
however, seeing another Jew
feel welcome and wanting to
be a part of the Jewish com-
munity in Detroit is incred-
ible and makes it worth the
effort. That'
s what drives me,
knowing I am actively con-
tributing to my future.
I have many favorite
moments. Each experience
matures my understanding
of what it means to be a Jew
and how to give back to my
community. That being said,
a defining moment for me
occurred a few months ago
when a few students and I
were meeting with a potential
donor. He asked us, “If I could
help give you guys anything,
what would you ask for?”
After much discussion, the
conclusion was that we didn’t
need anything at that time.
I realized then that I helped
create an infrastructure that
previously did not exist and
was now self-sustainable.
This edified the reality that
my work ethic and goals were
successful. It also increased my
drive and helped me realize
that I have only just begun.
Marcella Bluth, a senior majoring in
communications at Wayne State
University, was named the Elaine C.
Driker Award recipient via Zoom at a
recent Hillel of Metro Detroit Board
of Governors meeting. The Elaine
C. Driker Award acknowledges a
Hillel of Metro Detroit student who
has demonstrated a commitment to
Jewish life in Detroit.
Jews in the D
essay
Marcella
Bluth
B’
nai Moshe Begins
Group to Discuss
Racism
Recent events have brought
systemic racism to the
forefront of our collective
consciousness. B’nai Moshe
is stepping up to advocate
for and take action toward
building a more just system.
In doing so, B’nai Moshe
has created an ongoing
opportunity for education and
dialogue in our community on
how to effectively contribute
to lasting impactful and
meaningful change.
This group will meet every
other week via Zoom video
conferencing in a safe and
supportive place to gather and
share information necessary to
reinforce B’nai Moshe and the
Jewish community’s support
for people of color and the
Jewish values of life, justice
and community.
This program, called
“Avodat Tzedek — Work of
Justice,” is an information
exchange and discussion
group, and will be led by a
mental health professional
and a community organizer
to ensure a safe and respectful
environment. Discussions
will include systemic racism
(versus other forms of racism);
implicit bias; Black and
Jewish — ways to be more
inclusive and acknowledging;
oppression as it relates to
Jewish history and values;
and many more subjects. The
group will look for concrete
actions to end racism. It’s not
enough to just not be racist.
We need to be actively anti-
racist.
The first discussion is
Monday, July 6, at 7:30 p.m.
and registration is required.
For more information and to
register, visit.bnaimoshe.org.