AUGUST 27 • 2020 | 29 W e’ re not afraid to tackle tough issues in the community, ” said Sam Dubin, co-host of FedRadioDetroit, a podcast pro- duced by the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. The podcast series, which launched in December 2019, has released eight episodes centered around Jewish life in Metro Detroit. Alongside co-host Beverly Liss, president of Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit, Dubin tackles issues such as antisemitism. The idea is to focus on unique pockets of local Jewish life. “I’ m most interested in cover- ing people and issues surround- ing the Jewish community from a lens that you may not see else- where, ” said Dubin, 28, of Royal Oak, who attends Temple Israel and is a member of Federation’ s NEXTGen Detroit executive board. He hopes the podcast can provide an opportunity for “Jews who may feel like out- siders in the community to be insiders. “We’ re taking measures every time we have conversa- tions about FedRadioDetroit to be as inclusive in the commu- nity as possible. ” Recent guests have includ- ed Scott Kaufman, former CEO of Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit; Carolyn Bellinson of the nonprofit Brilliant Detroit, which focuses on childhood literacy; and Dr. Howard Lupovitch, director of the Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at Wayne State University. With a diverse cast of charac- ters, FedRadioDetroit covers all bases. But perhaps most diverse are its two co-hosts, who Dubin says are a perfect complement to one another. “We come from different generations, ” he said. “I’ m a millennial, and she’ s not. We really clicked. Our connec- tion on-air is good and it’ s been a pleasure to grow the relation- ship I have with her. ” Liss, a Bloomfield Hills resident who belongs to Adat Shalom Synagogue, agreed with Dubin. “When we have a guest come to our podcast, Sam and I approach the questions and the conversations in two different ways. That mix makes for a really electric discussion. ” Dubin, a graduate of Central Michigan University, majored in broadcast journalism and has a passion for podcasting, which he considers a great medium for longer-form discussions that may not be found elsewhere. His goal is to increase reach and build an inclusive platform that aims to highlight and cele- brate standout stories of Jewish individuals, organizations and beyond in Metro Detroit. Listen to episodes of the podcast at jewishdetroit.org/podcast. Jews in the D Tackling Tough Topics Podcast FedRadioDetroit aims to share standout stories in the Jewish community. ASHLEY ZLATOPOLSKY CONTRIBUTING WRITER JOHN HARDWICK Sam Dubin and Beverly Liss in studio Thank You! Young Israel of Southfi eld youth thank local police. L ocal law enforcement offi- cers were shown appreciation through a recent program run by Young Israel of Southfield. Through the YIOS Youth Department, children of the syna- gogue began by preparing homemade cards and pictures for the Southfield Police Department. On July 23, a contingent of nearly 50 children and adults from the syna- gogue visited the police department to deliver their projects and express their gratitude. Accompanying the group, all properly attired in masks, were Councilman Ari Mandelbaum and Rabbi Yechiel Morris, rabbi of Young Israel of Southfield. Mandelbaum offered greetings and was followed by Rabbi Morris, who noted how much the police department does for the synagogue and community. Southfield Chief of Police Elvin Barren told Young Israel congregants that his job is to protect and ensure that community members feel safe. He acknowledged the beautiful ges- ture of the children and adults at such a challenging time. Acting Deputy Chief Jeff Jagielski provided safety strategies that families should imple- ment during the summer. After questions from YIOS mem- bers, the children distributed their homemade cards and pictures to the police officers who also enjoyed snacks and cold drinks, which were sponsored by the Jacobs Family and Jerusalem Pizza. “Our goal today was to deliver one message — Thank you for all that you do!” said Rabbi Ari Steinig, the youth director at Young Israel of Southfield, who coordinated the event with Councilman Ari Mandelbaum. JN STAFF COURTESY OF YOUNG ISRAEL OF SOUTHFIELD COURTESY OF YOUNG ISRAEL OF SOUTHFIELD ABOVE: Councilman Ari Mandelbaum, Acting Deputy Chief Jeff Jagielski, Southfield Chief of Police Elvin Barren, Rabbi Yechiel Morris, Rabbi Ari Steinig, Menucha, Mrs. Rachel Steinig. TOP: Members of the Young Israel of Southfield with the Southfield Police Department.