14 | FEBRUARY 10 • 2022 He was also a founding mem- ber of the Kidz Klez Band of Michigan under the late Cantor Stephen Dubov. Alan later took a turn directing this ensemble starting in 2013. Then, in 2014, he became a founding member and music director of the local klezmer band Klezundheit (Bless You!). Klezundheit fea- tures some of the best musicians from the Metro Detroit area and performs throughout the community, doing its best to spread the sounds and love of music from the old country. Alan (saxophone) and his wife, Michelle, (flute) also per- form at Temple Beth El’s music Shabbat. They live in Berkley with their two children, Asher, 5, and Owen, 2. Alan would like to thank his parents for instill- ing in him a lifelong passion for music and Judaism. JOSH KETAI You can catch Josh Ketai as the director of sales at Essex Title, a commercial title insurance agency and VP of Acquisitions at Vokal Ventures, a commercial real estate development com- pany. He loves meeting new people and establishing rela- tionships, which is why he loves what he does. He was raised in a family that has always been heavily involved in the Jewish commu- nity. His mother, Sherri Ketai, has been a huge inspiration for his involvement in the Jewish community, which he credits to her and thanks her for. Josh is on the board for NEXTGen Detroit, where he helps plan and run events to bring young adults together to network and have fun evenings. In addition, he is on the board of Rub-a-Dub for ORT, where he assists with its annual event to help raise money for kids’ education. Most recently, he joined Cabinet, Jewish Federation of North America’s national young leadership program, which has been a fantastic experience so far during his first year. He’s looking forward to the next four years to fulfill his five-year com- mitment. When he’s not working his day job or helping on the boards, he spends most of his time training for Ironman competitions and marathons. He tries to spend his other free time in Colorado skiing, skin- ning, hiking and biking, where the mountains provide him with great challenges. DR. CHARLIE STARKMAN Dr. Charlie Starkman is a licensed clinical psychologist serving as the assistant director and outreach coordinator at University of Michigan-Dearborn Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). In his current posi- tion, he provides individual and group therapy to college students, supervises clini- cians-in-training and presents on mental health-oriented top- ics to the campus community. Additionally, Charlie serves on the Early Career Psychologist Committee of the Michigan Psychological Association. A native Metro Detroiter, Charlie had his bar mitzvah at Congregation Shaarey Zedek and graduated from Hebrew high school at Temple Beth El. He went on to earn his bache- lor’s degree from the University of Michigan in 2012 and his doctorate from Adler University in Chicago in 2017. After moving back to Michigan in late 2018, Charlie became active in the Michigan Democratic Party on both the local and state level. He is espe- cially interested in elevating Jewish voices in Democratic politics. He is an executive committee member of the Farmington/Farmington Hills Democratic Club and has worked on numerous local, state and congressional cam- paigns in different capacities. In 2019, he was appoint- ed to the Farmington Hills Commission on Community Health, which strives to increase access, education and resources to promote physical and men- tal health and wellness in the Farmington Hills community. Charlie currently resides in Farmington Hills after stints in Chicago, New Orleans and Baltimore. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, reading, yoga, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends. LAURA GOTTLIEB Laura Gottlieb is the direc- tor of cultural resources at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township, where she oversees the Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archives and Anna S. and Meyer L. Prentis Memorial Library. Laura was born and raised in Metro Detroit. She grew up at Temple Beth El and was a camper and staff at Camp Tamarack. Laura graduated from Michigan State University in 2015 with a BA in interdis- ciplinary social science with a focus in history and Jewish studies. Laura went on to receive her master’s degree in library information science and certificate in archival admin- istration from Wayne State University in 2019. Laura is passionate about the Metro Detroit Jewish commu- nity. She is a NEXTGen Detroit board member as well as a com- mittee member for Tamarack Camps. Laura also teaches high school students at Temple Beth El’s religious school (Masa), volunteers for JARC and hosts OneTable Shabbat dinners. In 2021, Laura served as a JDC Entwine community represen- tative for Detroit. In her role at Beth El, Laura works to bring Jewish stories and history to life through programs, lectures, workshops, book clubs and social media. From the “Out of the Box” series on Facebook Live to short TikToks and Instagram posts, Laura strives to make Jewish history accessible and fun. She met her husband, Jacob, at Camp Tamarack. They live in Southfield with their dog, Rashi. In her free time, Laura loves to bake and teach others how to make vegan baked goods. EMILY KOROTKIN Emily Korotkin has worked in her family’s business for 20 years. Vice president at KIG (Korotkin Insurance Group), Emily, a strong, smart businesswoman, has filled the shoes of the men who came before her and then some. Serving on the Board of Directors of the JCC and ORT locally, fundraising and chair- ing events to help further the continued on page 16 continued from page 12 OUR COMMUNITY