OUR COMMUNITY
R
epair the World announced its new cohort
of fellows in October. These community-
based young adult leaders spend two years
across the country connecting to their Jewish values
through action and learning. They deepen their
service journeys while recruiting peers to serve and
supporting local nonprofits to fulfill their missions.
Along with their service, the fellows explore the
intersection of social, racial and economic justice,
identity and community through a Jewish lens,
while simultaneously building concrete professional
skills.
The fellows serve across the country from Los
Angeles to Boston and six communities in between,
Detroit included.
Repair the World fellows serving Detroit are
senior fellow Emily Levine, 24, from New York,
and first-year fellows Annie Cohen, 23, and Melvin
Lewis, 22, both from Ohio.
For the Detroit fellows, half of their focus is on
their service placement. They will be working with
service partners Keep Growing Detroit, Brilliant
Detroit and Life Remodeled.
“Each of our fellows spends 10 or 11 hours
weekly in service to their placement site to help
build capacity around volunteer engagement and
special projects where they get to learn how to
professionalize themselves in a volunteer nonprofit,”
said Rebecca Steinman-DeGroot, city director for
Repair the World Detroit.
The other half of their service focuses on Jewish
community engagement, with each fellow holding
part of a Venn diagram-like portfolio of the Jewish
community.
One fellow is specifically working on engagement
of the young adult community; one fellow is focused
on synagogues — engaging with and learning about
local Jewish synagogue life; another fellow is focused
specifically on Jewish institutional life.
Levine, the senior fellow, has been here for one
year already.
“The history of the Jewish community in the city
of Detroit is very interesting and complex, and I
think, especially in the past five years, the city itself
has seen a total regeneration,” Levine said. “People
are moving into the city and trying to connect with
the city and their Judaism. Now, being rooted in the
city of Detroit, I think it puts us in a special place
with that.”
The new fellows, Lewis and Cohen, started in
August.
“It’s not easy moving to a place you’ve never been
before,” Lewis said. “But the fellowship has been a
good way to get to know people and do things with
young adults. I feel I was very supported with my
onboarding, not only to the fellowship but also to
the city.”
Cohen’s favorite part so far is simply being able to
connect with service.
“It’s something I always wanted to do in college
but never found time for,” she said. “It’s really nice
that it’s actually my job now so I don’t have an
excuse not to. I love being hands-on.”
Over their two years, Steinman-DeGroot hopes
the fellows feel a deeper connection to service in
Detroit and the Jewish community and that they
walk away with a true learning experience helping
propel them into their next steps. Steinman-
DeGroot says the fellows, including the two new
ones, have acclimated well to Detroit.
“When we have fellows who aren’t from here, they
really take an extra step to engage by doing things
and volunteering at locations outside of the program
on a regular basis,” she said. “They’re taking full
advantage of what our city and Jewish community
have to offer.”
Halfway through the program, Levine says
her time with her service partner, Keep Growing
Detroit, has broadened her experience, expertise
and passion for environmental and food justice.
“What I hope to and already have gotten out of
the fellowship is the ability to find and enjoy new
things I didn’t necessarily know I’d be good at or
would want to do,” Levine said.
“I think the experience in the fellowship is going
to positively affect my career trajectory — and for
that I’m really thankful.”
Learn more about Repair the World Detroit at https://werepair.org/
communities/detroit/.
Two first-year fellows join senior fellow in Detroit.
Repair the World Welcomes
New National Fellows
Rebecca
Steinman-DeGroot
Annie Cohen
Emily Levine
Melvin Lewis
DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER
24 | DECEMBER 8 • 2022