FEBRUARY 24 • 2022 | 17

OUR COMMUNITY

T

he award-winning series 
returns for a second 
season to feature profiles 
of Detroit seniors, including 
colorful stories of entrepre-
neur Larry Mongo, owner of 
Cafe D’Mongo’s Speakeasy 
in Downtown Detroit; the 
philanthropy of Max Fisher 
family scion and matriarch Jane 
Sherman; a vivid oral history 
of the Cass Corridor arts scene 
in the 1970s by legendary artist 
Nancy Mitchnick; the trans-
formative work of Restoration 
Arts Theater founder Dr. James 
Allen Jones, who sought to 
bring Shakespeare education to 
students of color; and the witty 
insights of Joel Katz, successor 
to a multi-generational plumb-
ing business that saved many 
during Detroit’s harsh winters.
These profiles are featured 
in Coming of Age: Detroit 
from Silver Screen Studios, 
a production company that 
celebrates the lives and expe-
riences of inspirational older 
adults through short form 
digital media programming, 
and Reboot, a Jewish arts and 
culture nonprofit with gener-

ous support from the William 
Davidson Foundation.
“
As our world continues to 
adjust to social, political and 
cultural change, the wisdom, 
gratitude and optimism of the 
older Detroit icons and every-
day heroes featured in Coming 
of Age: Detroit offers invalu-
able insights for audiences of 
all ages,
” said Noam Dromi, 
managing director of Reboot 
Studios and co-creator of Silver 
Screen Studios. 
“The seniors of the Metro 
Detroit area have remained 
models of resilience, creativity 
and reinvention, as adaptable to 
change as the Motor City itself. 
We are thrilled to capture their 
stories that are as entertaining 
as any Hollywood movie and 
offer historical context and leg-
acy for generations to come.
”
The first two episodes are 
available now. Additional epi-
sodes to feature Larry Mongo, 
Dr. James Allen Jones and 
Nancy Mitchnick will premiere 
weekly. Each installment runs 
between 10-15 minutes. View 
them at http://silverscreenstu-
dios.org. 

SILVER SCREEN STUDIOS

Season 2 premiere features inspiring older 
Jewish role models from the Motor City. 

Coming Of Age: 
Detroit

Jane Sherman
Joel Katz

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www.hfldetroit.org • 248.723.8184

Hebrew Free Loan Detroit

6735 TELEGRAPH ROAD, SUITE 300 • BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MICHIGAN 48301

@HFLDetroit

Community donations help Hebrew Free Loan give 
interest-free loans to local Jews for a variety of personal, 
health, educational and small business needs.

STORY
My

STORY
My

A few years ago, Kevin Chupack was with an invest-
ment advisory firm managing the client portfolios of 
a co-worker. Although he enjoyed what he did, his 
goal was always to establish his own clientele so 
he could eventually launch out on his own. 
“As opposed to working on behalf of someone 
else’s clients, I wanted to manage my own portfolio 
and establish my own clientele and brand,” Kevin 
said. “I felt I was ready to begin that journey, so I 
opened my own firm.” 
Kevin knew things would be tough for the first 
year as he built his client list, but what he did right 
away was find a business partner, a registered CPA 
who was also looking for a partner. The two created 
a symbiotic financial firm to fully support each 
other’s client relationships. The other thing Kevin 
did was contact Hebrew Free Loan to apply for 
funding through HFL’s Marvin I. Danto Small Business 
Loan Program. 
“The Hebrew Free Loan process was outstanding. 
It gave me the opportunity to put a vision behind 
my numbers and launch my business my way, 
which is both the scariest and the greatest feeling 
in the world,” Kevin said. My partner and I play to 
each other’s strengths, so we came out of our first 
couple of years doing well, and I credit HFL for 
giving me the courage to do it. It was more than 
money with them, it was support and encouragement. 
What this agency did for me, and does for the 
community, is life-changing.”