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 

