34 | JANUARY 12 • 2023

NEXT DOR

I

t was the perfect ending
to the 2022 calendar, as
NEXTGen Detroit hosted
two amazing events to kick off
the holiday season. Chanukah
started a bit early, as NEXTGen
Detroit held its monthly happy
hour, L
’Chaim Detroit, with
a fun dreidel spin. Over 110
guests enjoyed a latke bar,
dressed up in Chanukah sweat-
ers and sipped on good drinks
at Oak Park Social on Dec. 13
for L
’Chanukah Detroit.
“This L
’Chanukah bar night
was incredible,
” said Laura
Gottlieb, a NEXTGen Detroit
board member and L
’Chanukah
Detroit event co-chair. “The bar
was packed with both familiar
and new faces. It was so fun to
catch up with friends I haven’t
seen in so long and finally have
a chance to be with the com-
munity and enjoy the holiday

celebration together.
”
Along with Laura, Jeffrey
Sondheimer and Sara
Weinfeld helped organize this
record-breaking event. “I was
beyond delighted and truly
energized by the large turn-
out of people in attendance,
”
Sondheimer said. “It was a
privilege to assist in bringing
together and growing our
Jewish community of young
professionals here in Metro
Detroit.
”
To cap off the year, co-chairs
Jared Kohlenberg, Doug
Thoenes, Stephanie Hollander,
Lily Indenbaum and Justin
Polk helped bring more than 70
NEXTGen Detroiters down to
Ford Field to get a private tour
of the facilities as they went
“Inside the Lions Den.
”
“Inside the Lions Den gave us
such a great chance to explore

Ford Field and hear more about
the history of the Lions and the
stadium,
” Hollander said. “It
was perfect to have an oppor-
tunity to see everything and go
onto the field without a packed
house.
”
If you missed out on either
of these events, do not worry;
plenty of more diverse experi-

ences are coming in 2023.
“I am so fortunate for the
NEXTGen Detroit community
for helping put on events like
this,
” co-chair Polk said. “We are
so lucky to experience Detroit
in so many different ways.
”

Lauren Soifer is associate director of

NEXTGen Detroit.

Capping Off
a Great Year

LAUREN SOIFER SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

VOICE OF A NEW GENERATION

FROM TOP TO BOTTOM: Laura Gottlieb, Jeff Sondheimer and
Sara Weinfeld at L’Chanukah, Detroit! At the Inside the Lions Den event.