Meet the cohort 
of 2021 — young 
Jews making a 
dif
 erence in our 
community.

E

ach year, as the JN partners with The 
Well on the process of identifying 
36 amazing young people to honor, 
we continue to be amazed by the depth 
and breadth of talent in the Metro Detroit 
Jewish community. 
To recap the process: Nominations from 
the community were submitted to a panel of 
volunteer judges selected by The Well (with 
no affiliation to neither the JN nor The 
Well) who had the task of choosing the 36 
“best of the best” for this year’s cohort.
Here, in no particular order, are this year’s 
honorees, introducing themselves in their 
own words. Some of them, no doubt, you 
already know. Those who are new to you, 
you may want to meet.

NATE STRAUSS

Nate Strauss, 26, is very hon-
ored and humbled to have been 
selected as part of 36 Under 36 
this year. Residing in Lansing, 
Nate is the director of Jewish 
student life at MSU Hillel, 
working to build Jewish community at 
Michigan State University. Having learned 
the importance of Jewish community 
through his involvement in BBYO Michigan 
Region and Adat Shalom Synagogue, Nate 
feels incredibly lucky to get to do Jewish 
work, especially with Jewish college stu-

dents. A proud MSU alumnus, Nate earned 
degrees in comparative cultures and politics, 
and journalism, with a minor in Jewish 
studies. Nate has also earned a graduate cer-
tificate in Israel education from the George 
Washington University, where he is also 
pursuing a master’s degree in experiential 
Jewish education. Outside of work and 
school, Nate is a yoga teacher, Peloton rider 
and dog dad to his 2-year-old rescue pup, 
Feeny. 

ARIELLE ENDELMAN

Arielle Endelman is the direc-
tor of admissions at Frankel 
Jewish Academy where she 
guides families through the 
entire high school admissions 
process. In her third year in 
this role, Arielle admitted one of the largest 
freshman classes the school has seen in sev-
eral years. Arielle believes that the success of 
FJA will ensure a bright future full of young 
Jewish leaders for the Metro Detroit com-
munity. She anticipates continued growth 
for FJA in the coming years. Arielle is a 
graduate of the 2019-2020 Anti-Defamation 
League’s Sills/Glass Leadership Institute. She 
and her family are members of both Adat 
Shalom Synagogue and Temple Israel. 
Arielle is the face behind the recently creat-
ed @ItsMarthaJewart Instagram account, 
providing a community of Jewish and secu-
lar craft and activity ideas for preschoolers. 
Arielle is a graduate of both Syracuse 
University and NYU. She was born and 
raised in West Bloomfield, where she cur-
rently lives with her husband, Brett, and 
son, Blake.

DANNY SOLEIMANI

Danny is a partner at the law 
firm of Jaffe Raitt Heuer & 
Weiss, P
.C. He is a member of 
the firm’s Tax Practice Group 
and specializes in transactional 
tax matters related to mergers 
and acquisition and commercial real estate 

ON THE COVER
OUR COMMUNITY

continued on page 10

36
36
36

COMPILED BY JN STAFF

36
36
36
36
36
36

8 | FEBRUARY 11 • 2021 

