44 | MAY 2 • 2024 J N T he idea of “paying it forward” is a simple one. When you’re on the receiving end of an act of kindness or help from someone, instead of trying to pay it back, you pay it forward by doing something nice for someone else when you can. Dorrie Prussian of Birmingham, one of the many impressive young professionals the Detroit Jewish community has to offer, is doing just that. Prussian, originally from Louisville, moved to Detroit in June 2022 after a long-distance relationship with her fiancé, Derek Wolfe, who’s originally from and currently resides in the Detroit area. Prussian has additional Detroit-area roots — her father is from the area, and Prussian often visited Detroit throughout her childhood. Upon moving to the area, Prussian wanted to meet new people and find a way to get involved in the community. She was able to meet people through her fiancé and other family in the area but wanted to expand those efforts and meet new couples and friends together. Prussian quickly started attending NEXTGen Detroit events, and the ball started rolling. “We’re really lucky Detroit has a vibrant young adult communi- ty that wants to be involved and participates in events, and there are events to go to all the time, ” she said. In March and April 2023, Prussian attended NEXTGen Detroit’s Entree series, a four-session series providing attendees the opportunity to network with other young adults and community leaders as well as learn about local resources and programs and ways to get involved and give back. Prussian’s interest increased tenfold through those experienc- es — leading to her joining the NEXTGen Detroit board. Prussian serves on NEXTGen’s New to Town Committee, which hosts events for people who are new to this area or have recently moved back to town, in turn helping those people form new connec- tions and feel at home. New to Town social events take place throughout the year, allowing those connections for new and returning Detroiters to be made. In August 2023, there was a “L ’Chaim Detroit: Newish and Jewish Edition” happy hour/ bar night at DraftKings Sports Bar in Troy. Last month, there was a “Newish and Jewish Trivia Night” at Urbanrest Brewing Company in Ferndale. Prussian served as a co-chair for both events. Prussian, a social worker at a Detroit-area public school, has had an interest in being a part of the Jewish community for her entire adult life. She was involved in the Jewish commu- nity in Louisville as part of its young adults’ division. That itch followed her to Detroit. “It’s been great. This is a really tight-knit community, and we’re always wanting to find ways to bring new people together, ” she said. Being new to the community two years ago and now help- ing others find their footing, Prussian has seen and learned a lot. She finds that unless someone is really seeking out the Jewish community when they move to a new place, they can sometimes go unnoticed. Improvements in Jewish young adult outreach can always be made, and Prussian would love to help anyone who’s interested in what the Detroit Jewish com- munity has to offer. “I think there’s a lot of young Jewish adults here that we don’t know about. Finding some kind of way to get notified when they do move so that we can reach out to them, somehow get them involved or meet them for coffee or something would be helpful, ” she said. Being involved in the com- munity and helping new and returning Jewish Detroiters feel at home means a lot to Prussian, especially because, zooming out, it’s truly a small community. “ As the young Jewish com- munity, we need to grow and continue to be involved in our community, ” she said. “Sticking together, having each other’s backs and bonding, I think, is really important. ” New to Town NEXTGen connects newcomers to Detroit’s Jewish community. DANNY SCHWARTZ SENIOR STAFF REPORTER Dorrie Prussian Dorrie Prussian and her fiancé, Derek Wolfe NEXT DOR VOICES OF A NEW GENERATION