12 | SEPTEMBER 7 • 2023 

programs can be found on the JLive platform, which is managed in partner-
ship with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. A new website for 
The J is expected this winter, which Allyn says will be easy to navigate. “There’s 
a new logo, a new tagline, a new look, a new feel,
” she says. “I hope people are 
so excited to jump in with us, to find the programming that speaks to them.
”
Stephanie Lucker of Detroit grew up taking part in programs at the JCC 
in West Bloomfield. “It was very much about the physical space of the JCC, 
which was convenient because my family lived less than a mile away,
” she says. 
“Now, as the Jewish community has moved and interests have changed, I think 
I look at it as more about the programming.
” 
She attends The J’s family programming with her husband, Spencer, and 
2-year-old twins Avi and Mila, most recently taking part in The J-sponsored 
Sharing Shabbat program that had families hosting each other around their 
neighborhoods for Shabbat meals. 
“I think it’s so cool that they are looking for ways to connect with families 
where they are physically and where they are with their Jewish identity,
” she 
says. “I think they do a nice job in trying to be present where families are 
spending their time.
”
Adam Kessler, president of The J’s executive board of directors, says The J 
serves as a nucleus and foundation for broader Jewish involvement. “Our goal 
is not to push one thing on anyone. It’s to make sure you have the 
outlet to have that connection in your life however you want.
”
The Birmingham resident says he’s inspired by how The J 
helped create community for his family when his wife, Hannah, 
moved to Metro Detroit. “We started in the JBaby class, and so 
for us, that was a tremendous opportunity,
” he says. Now his old-
est daughter is almost 6, and the community of families they met 
in JBaby still stands strong. His wife has built an amazing network 
of friends, he says, and wants to stay rooted in Detroit. “The class allowed all 
of those expecting parents to have a community they could lean on.
” 
The idea is to make sure The J can reach everyone, he explains. “It all starts 
with a spark, and so whether you get a spark through JBaby or PJ Library or 
Maccabi Games, The J is really at the center of providing that spark for what-

COUNTER-CLOCKWISE: JGrand, an activities program for grandparents and 
grandchildren. Young child jumping during a JGrand event. Fundraising car-
wash for special needs camp. JGrand program participants.

OUR COMMUNITY
ON THE COVER

Adam 
Kessler

continued from page 11

COURTESY OF THE J

