36 | MARCH 9 • 2023
21-year-old end of the spectrum. Then
for the people on the older range of
our spectrum, we’re providing more
significant opportunities … that would
meet our “babysitter-worthy” criteria.
In any given week, NEXTGen Detroit
can be hosting a bar night, we can be
hosting a conversation about Israel or
we can be hosting a Ninjew Warrior
program where people are doing
something physical.
Through these programs, people have
the chance to learn more about what
Federation does and what opportunities
for impact are available to them. That’s
the big way that we’re catching that split
attention of millennials.
… FROM ALL JEWISH
PERSPECTIVES
The beauty of NEXTGen Detroit is
that we’re prepared to meet people
wherever their interests lie. There may
be a time in the future where there’s a
huge interest in very traditional Jewish
learning opportunities, and we have
amazing partner organizations within
the community that are well established
to work with us on that. But on the day-
to-day side of things, we’re thinking
about leadership through a Jewish lens
instead of providing traditional Jewish
educational programming.
The way that we bring our Judaism
into everything we do is through our
values, the way that our board operates
and the way that we empower people to
think through what’s meaningful.
The Israel piece of things is an area of
opportunity. NEXTGen Detroit convenes
conversations that make clear to people
that whatever perspective you come
from, you are welcomed into the room.
We recently had a program where there
was an Israeli settler and a Palestinian
who came and talked about their
experience living together in the West
Bank. That’s at the core of what we hope
to do — to convene honest conversations
where people feel that they have a seat at
the table.
That stretches across the board,
whether it’s Israel or different streams
of Judaism and different levels of
observance, we want to make sure we
have a place for everyone. That’s why
we’ve put so much time and effort into
thinking about our programs, to make
sure everyone has access, that there’s
an appropriate kosher food option, that
we start long enough after Shabbat for
people to make it down.
FUNDRAISING AMONG
YOUNG PEOPLE
Past generations really had a generational
example of what it meant to support and
give to the Jewish community in a very
traditional institutional kind of way. Our
generation is ready to make financial
contributions to the community, but
they’re more motivated by seeing the
impact firsthand. So, NEXTGen Detroit’s
role is to bring that impact to the
forefront. For instance: “There’s a really
significant crisis happening in Ukraine.
Here is how Federation is immediately
on the ground to address that.” And that’s
where our young donors are motivated
to give.
It’s about transparency and timeliness.
Making an annual ask to a millennial
doesn’t make as much sense as making
an ask when something is personally
motivating them.
I think people are initially quick to
say that young adults are not tied to this
institutional, big Jewish community. But
I think when you break things down into
their smaller component parts and get
people to understand the role that our
community infrastructure plays in all of
the little aspects of your life — sending
your kids to Tamarack or to the JCC for
summer camp, supporting Jews across
the world and here in Detroit — that’s
more meaningful to young adults. I’ve
been really excited about how NEXTGen
Detroit has broken that down in a way
that’s digestible for people.
THE TIME IS NOW
It’s very apparent to me that the time is
now for our generation to take up the
reins of leadership within the community
to ensure continuity between the
generation before us and the next that’s
to come.
MAKING TIME FOR MEANING
As president of the organization, it’s
a significant time investment. I’m on
multiple calls and multiple meetings a
week. But because it’s something that I
so deeply love, it doesn’t feel like a huge
time investment. It feels like I’m doing
something really meaningful with my
time, and it’s very easy for me to tuck
my son into bed or hand him to dad
[husband Matt Newman] for the rest of
the evening and know that I’m doing
something that is of value.
I think in having my son, that’s been
the biggest driving factor for me. I
really strongly want to give back to this
community so that it continues to be that
strong infrastructure I had when I was
growing up.
This story was first published on myjewishdetroit.com.
continued from page 35
NEXT DOR
VOICE OF A NEW GENERATION
Some 4,000
people attended
NEXTGen Detroit
events in 2022
(pictured above:
“L’Chanukah
Detroit,” held on
Dec. 13, 2022).
PHOTOS BY JOHN HARDWICK/FEDERATION