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
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8 | FEBRUARY 11 • 2021