36 Under 36

This Meet these young Jewish professionals who are making an impact in Metro Detroit. Year’s 36 Under 36

JN STAFF

For the past several years, the JN has had the privilege to meet an amazing group of people through our annual “36 Under 36.” Each of the people you’ll meet in these pages today was nominated by a member of our community and selected by a judging panel made up of community leaders.

This year’s cohort is incredibly diverse in their professions, skills and passions. We congratulate them on being selected as “36 Under 36” and look forward to seeing their names in our pages as they progress through their careers.

Here they are, in no particular order.

DAN BROTMAN

Boston-born Dan Brotman just passed the one-year mark as executive director of the Windsor Jewish Federation and Community Center. Canada is Dan’s third immigration, having lived most of his adult life in Israel and South Africa. Windsor’s Jewish population of 1,200 has significantly diminished over the years, and one of Dan’s main goals in his role is to leverage Canada’s pro-immigration policies to attract new Jewish arrivals to the city.

In partnership with the Jewish Federations of Hamilton and London, Ontario, Dan is overseeing the launch of Welcome Home, a campaign to attract new Jewish families to these three communities in southern Ontario. He has also built a coalition of local partners that has been lobbying the federal government for Windsor to participate in a pilot immigration program targeting smaller Canadian cities.

Dan is active in both the Windsor and Detroit Jewish communities and represents Windsor on the Achdut Council for Young Adults. He is an active participant at Partners Detroit, The Well and Limmud Michigan, as well as a contributor to the Detroit Jewish News. He aims to better integrate the Windsor Jewish community with the vibrant Jewish communities across the river. Under his leadership, the Windsor Federation and JCC has partnered on various events with Jewish organizations in Detroit and Ann Arbor.

Prior to relocating to Windsor, Dan owned a corporate education travel company in South Africa. He is an amateur travel writer and continues to visit some of the world’s most unique and unusual destinations.

ASHLEY SCHNARR

Ashley Schnaar is a planning associate at the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit. Through her role, Ashley advocates for the needs of Jewish community agencies and helps organizations demonstrate their impact through program evaluation. Ashley recently served as the coordinator of We Need to Talk, the Detroit Jewish community’s youth mental health initiative, where she organized educational events and trainings and conducted a community-wide mental health study.

She grew up in Metro Detroit and currently resides in Ferndale. In high school, Ashley was involved with YFTI at Temple Israel and NFTY Michigan. Ashley graduated from Michigan State University in 2018, where she was a student leader at MSU Hillel. She received her master’s in social work

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degree from the University of Michigan in 2020, where she studied nonprofit management and the Jewish community as part of the Jewish Communal Leadership Program.

In her free time, Ashley enjoys trying new restaurants and breweries, playing board games with friends and traveling with her partner, Josh.

LAUREN EDELMAN WILLENS

Lauren Edelman Willens is a partner at the law firm of Jaffe Raitt Heuer & Weiss, P.C. She is a member of the firm’s Intellectual Property & Information Technology and Data Privacy & Cybersecurity practice groups and specializes in providing strategic legal and business advice to clients to protect, defend and enforce their intellectual property rights, as well as preparing and enforcing data privacy.

Lauren attended Wayne State University Law School, where she was vice president of the Jewish Law Students Association. Lauren was previously an executive member of the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan.

In 2018, Lauren discovered that she had a BRCA1 gene mutation. Despite diligent screening, in 2021, Lauren was diagnosed and courageously defeated triple-negative breast cancer. She is now an advocate for genetic testing within the Jewish community (1 in 40 Ashkenazi Jewish women will have a BRCA gene mutation), for BRCA1/2 previvors and those suffering with genetic cancer-related disease.

Lauren grew up in Metro Detroit and currently lives in Huntington Woods with her husband, David, children, Carter and Stella, and dog, Miss Maisel. Lauren’s kids attend Hillel Day School, where she is a member of the PTO.

Lauren is happiest spending time with her family and friends, cooking, baking, riding her Peloton, hiking and traveling. Lauren and her husband hope to travel to Israel this year.

OUR COMMUNITY

JORDAN ZUPPKE

Jordan Zuppke is one of the founding partners at Zupac Law, a criminal defense firm with an office at 12 Mile and Crooks in Royal Oak. Its motto: We are your best defense. Zupac Law’s trial lawyers handle everything from traffic tickets, license restorations and misdemeanors to felony cases. They help clients navigate the justice system and have the resources they need to overcome life obstacles, like substance abuse. Jordan is also vice president of the Jewish Bar Association of Michigan (JBAM) and a board member of the Criminal Defense Attorneys of Michigan (CDAM). He and his law partner, Marina Chupac, believe in community. Zupac has an open-door policy and treat clients like family. The office functions not only as a law firm but also as a wellness studio. Zupac Life, on the lower level, is equipped with a full kitchen and studio space. It offers donation-based yoga classes and other wellness-related events. In addition, Zupac also has a traveling free legal advice trailer with an on-the-go office space.

Jordan’s first passion in life is skateboarding, and he is known around town as the Skateboard Lawyer. He’s been riding since he was 10 years old and considers his skateboard his guiding force. He often represents fellow skaters in the local community, sponsors events and aims to inspire the future generation.

He studies Torah every Tuesday at Platform 18 with his dear friend and rabbi, Leiby Burnham, and cherishes Shabbat dinners with his love, Rachel Goutman, and their cat, Bowie.

RACHAEL DAWSONBAGLIEN

Rachael was born and raised in Metro Detroit. She is a graduate of both Hillel Day School and Frankel Jewish Academy and was active in BBYO. She earned a master’s degree in macro social work/community organizing from the University of Michigan.

Rachael works as a project manager for Catholic Social Services of Washtenaw County. Her position entails reducing barriers for caregivers and older adults seeking resources. Passionate about inclusion, Rachael works to ensure the Jewish community knows her program is open to all.

Rachael has been involved as a board member of Jewish Young Professionals of Ann Arbor (JYP). As one of the event co-chairs, Rachael enjoyed creating events that she did not see elsewhere in the community. When she and a friend were lamenting the lack of Jewish events in Ypsilanti, they worked together to create JYP’s first Ypsi Shabbat. Once COVID hit, Rachael researched best practices to successfully pivot from in-person programming to virtual programming.

One of Rachael’s favorite aspects of Judaism is celebrating Shabbat. Recently, she led a Friday night Shabbat celebration at Youmacon 2021, Detroit’s largest pop culture convention. The convention regularly holds a Sunday morning service; this was the first time in its 17-year history that another religion’s services were included.

Rachael lives in Ypsilanti with her husband, Evan, and their dog, Ender. In her free time, Rachael enjoys going to comic conventions (preCOVID) and has been a panelist at Youmacon since 2016.

ALAN POSNER

Alan Posner was born and raised in the Metro Detroit Area and is a lifelong member of Temple Beth El. Alan is currently the band director at Bloomfield Hills High School and has been teaching for 13 years. He holds an undergraduate degree in instrumental music education from the University of Michigan and a master’s degree in instrumental conducting from Oakland University. Alan was a quarterfinalist for the Grammy Teacher of the Year in 2020.

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He was also a founding member of the Kidz Klez Band of Michigan under the late Cantor Stephen Dubov. Alan later took a turn directing this ensemble starting in 2013. Then, in 2014, he became a founding member and music director of the local klezmer band Klezundheit (Bless You!). Klezundheit features some of the best musicians from the Metro Detroit area and performs throughout the community, doing its best to spread the sounds and love of music from the old country.

Alan (saxophone) and his wife, Michelle, (flute) also perform at Temple Beth El’s music Shabbat. They live in Berkley with their two children, Asher, 5, and Owen, 2. Alan would like to thank his parents for instilling in him a lifelong passion for music and Judaism.

JOSH KETAI

You can catch Josh Ketai as the director of sales at Essex Title, a commercial title insurance agency and VP of Acquisitions at Vokal Ventures, a commercial real estate development company. He loves meeting new people and establishing relationships, which is why he loves what he does.

He was raised in a family that has always been heavily involved in the Jewish community. His mother, Sherri Ketai, has been a huge inspiration for his involvement in the Jewish community, which he credits to her and thanks her for. Josh is on the board for NEXTGen Detroit, where he helps plan and run events to bring young adults together to network and have fun evenings.

In addition, he is on the board of Rub-a-Dub for ORT, where he assists with its annual event to help raise money for kids’ education.

Most recently, he joined Cabinet, Jewish Federation of North America’s national young leadership program, which has been a fantastic experience so far during his first year. He’s looking forward to the next four years to fulfill his five-year commitment.

When he’s not working his day job or helping on the boards, he spends most of his time training for Ironman competitions and marathons. He tries to spend his other free time in Colorado skiing, skinning, hiking and biking, where the mountains provide him with great challenges.

OUR COMMUNITY

DR. CHARLIE STARKMAN

Dr. Charlie Starkman is a licensed clinical psychologist serving as the assistant director and outreach coordinator at University of Michigan-Dearborn Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). In his current position, he provides individual and group therapy to college students, supervises clinicians-in-training and presents on mental health-oriented topics to the campus community. Additionally, Charlie serves on the Early Career Psychologist Committee of the Michigan Psychological Association.

A native Metro Detroiter, Charlie had his bar mitzvah at Congregation Shaarey Zedek and graduated from Hebrew high school at Temple Beth El. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan in 2012 and his doctorate from Adler University in Chicago in 2017.

After moving back to Michigan in late 2018, Charlie became active in the Michigan Democratic Party on both the local and state level. He is especially interested in elevating Jewish voices in Democratic politics. He is an executive committee member of the Farmington/Farmington Hills Democratic Club and has worked on numerous local, state and congressional campaigns in different capacities.

In 2019, he was appointed to the Farmington Hills Commission on Community Health, which strives to increase access, education and resources to promote physical and mental health and wellness in the Farmington Hills community.

Charlie currently resides in Farmington Hills after stints in Chicago, New Orleans and Baltimore. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, reading, yoga, listening to music, and spending time with family and friends.

LAURA GOTTLIEB

Laura Gottlieb is the director of cultural resources at Temple Beth El in Bloomfield Township, where she oversees the Rabbi Leo M. Franklin Archives and Anna S. and Meyer L. Prentis Memorial Library.

Laura was born and raised in Metro Detroit. She grew up at Temple Beth El and was a camper and staff at Camp Tamarack. Laura graduated from Michigan State University in 2015 with a BA in interdisciplinary social science with a focus in history and Jewish studies. Laura went on to receive her master’s degree in library information science and certificate in archival administration from Wayne State University in 2019.

Laura is passionate about the Metro Detroit Jewish community. She is a NEXTGen Detroit board member as well as a committee member for Tamarack Camps. Laura also teaches high school students at Temple Beth El’s religious school (Masa), volunteers for JARC and hosts OneTable Shabbat dinners. In 2021, Laura served as a JDC Entwine community representative for Detroit.

In her role at Beth El, Laura works to bring Jewish stories and history to life through programs, lectures, workshops, book clubs and social media. From the “Out of the Box” series on Facebook Live to short TikToks and Instagram posts, Laura strives to make Jewish history accessible and fun.

She met her husband, Jacob, at Camp Tamarack. They live in Southfield with their dog, Rashi. In her free time, Laura loves to bake and teach others how to make vegan baked goods.

EMILY KOROTKIN

Emily Korotkin has worked in her family’s business for 20 years. Vice president at KIG (Korotkin Insurance Group), Emily, a strong, smart businesswoman, has filled the shoes of the men who came before her and then some.

Serving on the Board of Directors of the JCC and ORT locally, fundraising and chairing events to help further the

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missions of these organizations is very important to her.

While a Spartan at heart, Emily graduated with a degree in radio broadcast from Columbia College Chicago, but eventually found her way home to Detroit to be closer to her dad and sisters and their families.

Emily and her wife, Stacy, have built their family in Metro Detroit. Son Davis, 3, and daughter Cash, 1, are the lights of their lives. Emily leads by example by donating time and money to initiatives that are close to her heart. Helping to provide resources to the underserved is a key value she hopes to instill in their children. An expert in her field, with unmatched customer service, Emily looks forward to bringing KIG into the future as the first Korotkin woman to do so.

JONATHON MARGOLIS

Jonathon Margolis has always been a proud member of the Jewish community. He attended Jewish day schools through high school, which instilled in him a love of Judaism, Israel and a sense of community. His first true internship was with JVS’s JOIN program, which was a fantastic introduction to the various organizations that serve our Jewish community. He’s always been a proud member of Bais Chabad of West Bloomfield and dedicates time to helping the synagogue grow. He serves on the board and is particularly focused on the efforts to grow the shul’s younger membership.

Professionally, he was fortunate to find a long-term home at Farbman Group, where he currently oversees the asset management division, which maximizes value for the company’s portfolio of more than 25 million square feet of commercial real estate. He is extremely client-focused, ensuring that each property in the portfolio is approached from an ownership perspective, and works to exceed owners’ and clients’ goals. There is no set rule book to follow, as each property and client is unique. This requires a lot of thought, creativity and care, which are the drivers that continue to motivate him.

Jonathon is married to a Hillel Day School alumna who teaches at the school. They have two daughters, ages 4 and 2, who both attend Hillel.

OUR COMMUNITY

ALEC COHEN

Alec Cohen is the marketing and operations manager for the Storage Business Owners Alliance (SBOA). Alec also manages his own photography business, AC Productions.

Prior to working for the SBOA, Alec graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.A. in communication and media studies. During his time at U-M, Alec was very involved with the Michigan Daily. He served as a managing photo editor in 2019 and a managing video editor in 2020. Additionally, Alec worked with MUSKET, the largest musical theater organization at the University of Michigan, as the marketing director for two years.

Alec started AC Productions in 2014 by creating mitzvah montages. Over the years, he has worked as a photographer and videographer at many mitzvahs, weddings and other local events, and continues to run his business today.

His other Jewish community involvement includes being a primary photographer for Temple Israel as well as a past marketing intern with Tamarack Camps for two years.

Outside of work, Alec is involved with the Relay for Life of South Oakland County. He enjoys keeping up with the latest television shows and finding new things to do in his new home in Royal Oak.

AMIRA SOLEIMANI

Amira Soleimani is the director of Judaic Studies curriculum and instruction at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit. Amira has served the Detroit Jewish community as a Jewish studies teacher and administrator for the past 12 years. Prior to joining the Hillel family, Amira was the head of the Bible department at Frankel Jewish Academy.

Amira believes that the soul of a child is best nourished when Jewish values are taught through skills, and when the topic of God is explored with confidence and intent. In her role, Amira enjoys designing curriculum that emphasizes particularly Judaic skills while integrating universal learning benchmarks.

Amira earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, her master’s from Tel Aviv University, and is a graduate of the Hartman Melamdim Program.

Amira grew up in the Detroit Jewish community and is a proud alumna of both Hillel Day School and the Frankel Jewish Academy. In her free time, she can be found cooking and hanging out with her beautiful and vivacious daughters, Alma and Michal.

DANNY KAUFMAN

Danny Kaufman is president of Burns & Wilcox, a globally recognized leader in wholesale specialty insurance brokerage and underwriting. He also serves as executive vice president of its parent company, H.W. Kaufman Group, a privately held organization founded and headquartered in Metro Detroit.

Following in the footsteps of his father, Alan J. Kaufman, and his late grandfather, Herbert W. Kaufman, Danny is only the third president of Burns & Wilcox in the company’s more than 50-year history.

He is also on the Board of Directors of H.W. Kaufman Group and subsidiaries H.W. Kaufman Group London and Atain Insurance Companies.

Along with his family, Danny has been a longstanding and active member of the Detroit Jewish community. He serves on the Board of Directors for Adat Shalom Synagogue and previously co-chaired Jewish Federation of Metro Detroit’s missions to Cuba and Israel as part of the Emerging Leaders Program.

Nationally, Danny has been on the Jewish Federation

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of North America National Young Leadership Cabinet since 2015.

Here in Detroit, Danny serves on the boards for the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Historical Society and Forgotten Harvest.

He received his BA from the University of Michigan and his Juris Doctor from Loyola University in Chicago.

Proud parents of Sophie and Henry, Danny and his wife, Morgan, reside in Birmingham. Zalman’s Deli in Bloomfield Hills once had a sandwich on the menu called “The Daniel.” While he says it was always his dream to have his own deli sandwich, “The Daniel” was removed due to lack of popularity.

JOSHUA DEAN

Joshua Dean is a third-year obstetrics/ gynecology resident at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. He is passionate about women’s health and contributed a large percentage toward the record 7,379 deliveries this past year at Beaumont. During his residency, he has helped care for patients during the COVID-19 pandemic. When the pandemic began, Josh spent a month working in the COVID ICU at Beaumont. He continues to care for pregnant women admitted due to severe COVID-19 disease.

Josh grew up in West Bloomfield. He has been a lifetime member of Congregation Shaarey Zedek. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in political science. He received his medical degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. During his time at Wayne State, he was vice president of the Jewish Medical Student Association.

His upbringing in the tightknit Detroit Jewish community has instilled strong values of tikkun olam. He volunteers monthly at the Gary Burnstein Clinic in Pontiac, where he provides free gynecologic care to uninsured patients. He also served in the organization Fitkids 360 as a mentor to children overcoming obesity.

Josh and his wife, Dr. Cristina Bruno, live in Royal Oak. They look forward to building a life together and supporting our strong Jewish community.

OUR COMMUNITY

KEVIN SACK

Kevin Sack is vice president and the fourth generation of his family at Sea Fare Foods Inc. Located in Detroit’s historic Eastern Market, Sea Fare Foods is the producer of Ma Cohen’s award-winning smoked fish, lox and herring.

In 2021, Kevin’s goal was to strengthen brand awareness amongst local businesses. While their products can be found nationwide, Ma Cohen’s is now featured at many Metro Detroit institutions, including New York Bagel, Siegel’s Deli, Pickles & Rye, Westborn Market, Holiday Market, Western Market, Shelby Detroit, The Apparatus Room, Rose’s Fine Food & Wine, Coriander and several other fine food establishments.

In 2019, Kevin started Respect & Resources, a nonprofit with a mission to engage communities throughout Metro Detroit to be good to their neighbors near and far. Respect & Resources has successfully worked on a prom dress giveaway, holiday toy drives and partnered with Operation Warm to bring brand-new, high-quality coats to underserved communities.

The greatest joy in Kevin’s life is spending time with his wife, Abbie, and their son, Lennon. Kevin and his family are members at Adat Shalom Synagogue, where he continues to deepen his connection to Judaism through its adult education program and independent studies with the clergy. He has also been involved with the Coalition for Black and Jewish Unity and Hazon’s Jewish Food Festival.

Kevin lives in Royal Oak and is a proud Wolverine, having attended U-M’s Ross School of Business. In his spare time, Kevin enjoys traveling, growing his art and record collection, innovating new products, and connecting with friends and family.

MARLEE SHIFMAN

Marlee Shifman is the marketing and communications associate at Frankel Jewish Academy, where she cultivates relationships with future Jewish leaders and helps tell the story of FJA to the broader community. Marlee is responsible for all FJA’s social media pages; she writes and edits the yearly Mah Hadash magazine, which is mailed to more than 1,000 households; she handles all photography and videography for the school; and if it’s a snow day, she’s the one letting you know!

Marlee originally found her way to the Jewish nonprofit sector working as a development associate at JVS Human Services where she handled donations and tributes.

An alumna of Western Michigan University (go Broncos!), she graduated in 2013 with a BA in communications, specializing in film, video and media studies.

Marlee was a founding member of her BBYO chapter, Emunah BBG. She has served on the BBYO Alumni Committee as well as at JVS and NEXTGen Detroit’s NextWork Committee.

She is a long-time member of Temple Shir Shalom, where she also worked as its videographer, filming b’nai mitzvahs and holiday services.

Marlee has a talent and passion for photography and has her own side business, Marlee Jade Photography, taking portraits of high school seniors and families. You can view her work on her Facebook page.

Marlee was raised in Farmington Hills and now resides in Royal Oak with her cat, Mr. Pickles.

ZACK SLAPOTSKY

Originally from West Bloomfield, Zack attended Hillel Day School and Cranbrook. He then left the area, earning an economics degree at Cornell University, working as an economic consultant in New York City, achieving an MBA with honors from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and working for a

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leading investment manager in Austin, Texas.

After more than a decade away, Zack returned in 2017, moving to Birmingham. Shortly thereafter, he met Emily, a physician assistant at Beaumont, who he married not once, but twice thanks to COVID-related wedding planning adventures.

Zack and Emily are both committed to helping foster a strong Jewish community in Metro Detroit. Zack is active with Chabad Detroit and the Downtown Synagogue, and he is passionate about his work as a board member with Federation’s NEXTGen Detroit. Zack has focused on creating social events to expand and strengthen community; he has chaired successful NEXTGen events, such as ice skating at Campus Martius, couples kayaking and the “Pitch Under the Lights” kickball tournament.

In his personal and professional life, Zack strives to be a mensch. He works as a vice president and financial advisor at the Society for Lifetime Planning, where he serves as personal financial quarterback for his clients, helping with investment management, developing retirement income strategies and answering personal financial questions.

ELANA MIODOWNIK

Elana Miodownik has always hoped to give back to the community that helped form her into the person she is today. Being raised in a Southfield home that emphasized Jewish values and tradition helped her develop a positive Jewish identity and paved the road that led her back to Farber Hebrew Day School.

As a social worker for grades K-8 at Farber, she helps create a feeling of warmth in school so each child feels loved and, more importantly, they each matter as an individual. Throughout the day, she works with students on building their social skills, learning how to resolve conflict, and how to appropriately advocate for themselves and others.

As a representative of the religious Modern Orthodox community, she embraces the opportunity to be a positive female Jewish role model in her students’ lives, whether it be attending morning prayers in school, teaching a course on Jewish law or, her most recent favorite, using TikTok to help her students engage in a weekly reflection on each week’s Torah portion and creating a weekly “ShTikTok” together.

Beyond Farber, as a member of the Youth Mental Health Workgroup, she works in collaboration with other community members to have a greater impact on the mental well-being of our community’s youth.

In addition to her role as a social worker, she and her husband are the proud parents of three wonderful children. She and her family live in (no surprise!) Southfield! Her students’ might be interested to know that in 2000, Elana was slimed as a winner on Nickelodeon’s game show Slimetime Live!

ILANA WORONOFF

Ilana Woronoff was born and raised in West Bloomfield. She is a licensed social worker and currently works as a resource center coordinator at Jewish Family Service. In this role, Ilana works to support the community in many ways, including connecting people to counseling support, accessing resources for those with aging family members or simply helping people find a kosher butcher. Supporting the community is not only a career for Ilana, but also a passion. Ilana completed her undergraduate studies at Michigan State University, majoring in human development and family studies with a specialization in Jewish studies. She later received her Master of Social Work degree at the University of Michigan.

Ilana grew up at Adat Shalom Synagogue and discovered her passion for volunteering during the annual Housing the Homeless program. Following that spark, she currently enjoys serving as a member of NEXTGen Detroit’s Volunteers Committee. An alumna of BBYO Michigan Region, MSU Hillel, JYP-Ann Arbor and many other community organizations, Ilana has a deep love and appreciation for the Jewish community.

While not working, volunteering or spending time with family and friends, Ilana can be found in the kitchen honing her skills as an at-home baker and cook. Throughout the past two years, Ilana has found that the kitchen is not such an intimidating place and now loves whipping up a chocolate babka (with friends on Zoom) or baking a new recipe she stumbled upon on Instagram.

JENNA BELTSER

Jenna Beltser is the director for the Orthodox Union’s Impact Accelerator.

Since its launch in 2018, the Impact Accelerator works with nonprofit startups that address critical issues of the Jewish community through new and innovative methods. Every year, four-to-six organizations are chosen to participate in a cohort experience that includes a nonprofit curriculum, leadership training, mentorship and coaching.

As founding director of the program, Jenna designed the cohort experience as well as the curriculum and format of the program. She works with each startup nonprofit one-on-one to help them scale their efforts.

Prior to the Accelerator, Jenna worked in the financial technology startup world at both Visible Alpha and Novus. The Impact Accelerator blends her passion for the Jewish community with her experience in startups to transform the landscape of the Jewish future.

Outside of the OU, Jenna is involved in her local synagogue and Jewish community.

Jenna’s family moved back to Michigan this summer. She lives in Southfield with her husband, Lev, and two children. Jenna graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor’s in international relations and economics. While at Penn, she studied abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, where she went bungee jumping at the Bloukrans Bridge, the highest commercially operated bridge bungee jump in the world.

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LACEY FOON

Lacey Foon, 34, is most recently the founder of JFamily’s newest program — JScreen Detroit — an initiative created to help Detroit Jews receive education, subsidization and support for hereditary cancer genetic and reproductive disease screening.

She devised this initiative while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer associated with her own cancer genetic mutation. She did not want a single member of this community not to have the resources available for this lifesaving technology that is so important for Jews, who are at a higher risk of being carriers.

In addition to her work with JScreen Detroit, Foon devotes much of her time to various local organizations including NEXTGen Detroit, Hillel Day School, Friendship Circle (with her certified therapy dog, Hugo) and the JBaby prenatal program. Her affiliations with the Jewish Federation include the JFMD Capital Needs Committee, Ben Gurion Society, National Young Leadership Cabinet through JFNA and Ruby Lion.

Professionally, Foon spent more than a decade at various Detroit-area real estate groups, including Village Green, REDICO and ROCO, holding roles from leasing consultant to acquisitions director, while also earning her MBA.

The Bloomfield Hills resident and Temple Israel member received her bachelor’s degree from The George Washington University and an MBA from the University of Michigan. She is married to Elliot and is the mother of twins, Phoebe and Eloise.

RABBI ELYA SILFEN

Rabbi Elya Silfen is director of the Bais Chabad Yeshiva (BCY), a free international online Jewish learning program affiliated with the Bais Chabad Torah Center in West Bloomfield.

Rabbi Elya hails originally from Chapel Hill, North Carolina, where he attended public high school and spent his spare time working at a coffee shop and playing the banjo. After graduation, he went to the Mayanot Yeshiva in Jerusalem for what he thought would be a “gap year” and never looked back. He went on to study at Ohelei Torah in Brooklyn, New York, and finally the Morristown Rabbinical College in Morristown, New Jersey.

The BCY is open to all and has a diverse and growing group of instructors and students. Classes span a variety of topics in Torah and take place daily on Zoom. Rabbi Elya designed the program primarily for those with little or no formal Jewish education, and without a rabbi or community. His passion is reaching these individuals to provide personal attention, learning and counseling.

He lives in West Bloomfield with his wife and four children, who love to make new connections in the community and welcome Shabbos guests.

SAMANTHA FOON

Samantha Foon has made it her mission to make a positive impact on the Metro Detroit Jewish community. She is actively involved in countless organizations and is always finding new and valuable ways to help others.

As social event vice president of the NEXTGen Detroit Executive Board, Samantha oversees social programming and has twice co-chaired NEXTGen Detroit’s largest fundraiser, EPIC, which raises more than $300,000 for Federation’s Annual Campaign.

Whether doing a feminine product drive for I Support the Girls, a NEXTGen blood drive for Beaumont or helping plan Brilliant Detroit’s annual fundraiser, she is always thinking of ways to aid our community.

A mother of twins, age 4, Samantha is actively involved in Hillel Day School and JFamily. She enjoys planning creative, innovative Jewish family and young adult experiences. She also is on the Jewish Community Center board. Samantha is co-chairing ORT Michigan’s fall fundraiser, Come ORT and Play, in support of ORT’s critical mission of impacting lives through education.

Samantha, a Bloomfield Hills resident, received her bachelor’s degree in the hospitality business from Michigan State University. A member of Temple Israel, she is married to Michael and is the mother of Riley and Easton.

RENEE LIBERMAN

Renee Liberman of Royal Oak is a language arts and social studies teacher at Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit. Fulfilling a lifelong aspiration, Renee is in the middle of her 13th year as an educator. She continues to feel blessed to have such an active role in our Jewish community year after year.

Renee works to bring light into her classroom each day and, in turn, allows others’ lights to shine brightly. Infusing Judaism into her daily practices as a general studies teacher, she finds joy in sharing her pride and passion for Judaism with her students.

Her love for her Jewish identity began at a young age. Growing up in a home that embraced and encouraged access to a Jewish education, Renee participated in various activities that supported her growth, spirituality, and love for Israel and Judaism.

From her youth, Renee attended OSRUI, a URJ summer camp, visited Israel several times as an adolescent and Jewish professional, and carries her connection as a Jew wherever her travels lead her. An important and transformative trip was as a participant on the Germany Close Up trip, in partnership with The Well. She relies on all these experiences as tools as she leads and learns alongside her students.

Renee is a proud graduate of Michigan State University

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with both her undergraduate and graduate degrees. She was born and raised in West Bloomfield and now calls Royal Oak her home.

DAN GOLDBERG

Dan is a financial advisor at Diversified Portfolios in Bloomfield Hills. He is passionate about investments and financial markets and loves working to help families with any financial matter or concern. Dan truly loves his profession and has studied over the years to become more knowledgeable across various financial subject matters. Dan is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Certified Financial Planner (CFP) and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst (CAIA).

From the New York City area, Dan recently moved to Metro Detroit with his family after 11 years as an executive director and investment specialist with J.P. Morgan Asset Management in New York.

He graduated from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business, where he met his wife, Amanda, who is from West Bloomfield. They have a daughter who attends Hillel ECC.

Although not originally from Michigan, Dan has been coming to Metro Detroit since 2006 and has spent many a Jewish holiday in town attending services at Temple Beth El and participating in the broader Jewish community. He is proud of his Jewish heritage and is very much looking forward to being an active full-time member of the community.

Outside of work, Dan enjoys spending as much time as he can with his wife and daughter Lyla. In his free time, you can find Dan shooting baskets in his driveway or trying all the restaurants in town.

SRULI (MICHAEL) KLEIN

Sruli (Michael) Klein is the founder and CEO of Klein’s Rentals, a resource to help Jewish families have a full kosher vacation experience. Klein’s Rentals helps by finding a vacation villa and supplying everything from freezers to BBQs to basketball hoops and more.

Sruli started his landscaping business at age 14 and purchased his first truck and hired his first two full-time employees at age 15, before he even had his driver’s license. Sruli later started a property restoration company to help people in the community and nationwide recover from disasters including fire and flood damage.

With all his businesses, Sruli has emphasized giving back to his community through charitable contributions and volunteering his services. He enjoys mentoring young Jewish teens to help start and grow their businesses. As a proud alumnus, Sruli sponsored the Akiva basketball team. He also donates to organizations throughout the Detroit area, including Yad Ezra and the Oak Park EZ-Roll event.

In his spare time, Sruli enjoys playing basketball, traveling and spending time with family.

JACKIE YASHINSKY

Jackie Yashinsky has always had a strong connection to the Metro Detroit Jewish community. She is so passionate about it that she made a career of it.

Jackie is the director of teen programs at Tamarack Camps. There, she oversees wilderness programming for high schoolers. Last summer, she created a new program that gave an additional 50 campers and staff members a much-needed summer experience. In a prior role, she coordinated the Teen Mission to Israel, working alongside community congregations and Jewish Federation.

She began her career at the Zekelman Holocaust Center as the development associate where she managed daily donations and logistics for its annual fundraising event. She also created new programming to engage children and young adults.

She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in social work and Jewish studies.

Jackie is a past board member of MSU Hillel and Congregation B’nai Moshe. She has also been involved with NEXTGen Detroit, JFamily and Partners Detroit.

She lives in Huntington Woods with her husband, Joey, and adorable daughters Elizabeth and Goldie. When she’s not working in the community, she can be found attempting to make every social gathering a game night.

NOAH ARBIT

Noah Arbit is a candidate for state representative in Michigan’s 20th House District — including West Bloomfield, eastern Commerce Township, Orchard Lake, Keego Harbor and Sylvan Lake.

Noah previously served as director of communications for Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald and served as a staffer for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, in the Michigan House and on the 2016 presidential campaign.

In 2019, Noah founded the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus, a first-of-its-kind grassroots political organization aiming to provide Michigan’s Jewish community a greater voice within the Democratic Party and to strengthen Jewish representation in Michigan politics and government.

Noah’s politics and his call to service are profoundly influenced by his Judaism, and he is passionate about the chance to provide a strong voice for Michigan’s Jewish community in Lansing. If elected, he will represent more Jews than any other representative in the Michigan House. At 26, he will also be the youngest-ever LGBTQ+ person ever elected to the state legislature.

Among Noah’s key priorities is revising and strengthening Michigan’s antiquated hate crimes statute, which will help protect Jews and other communities facing increased threats and violence.

In his all-too-limited free time, Noah enjoys traveling abroad and listening to podcasts and audiobooks. You

can find him walking the West Bloomfield Trail or out campaigning across West Bloomfield and Commerce for the primary election on Aug. 2. Noah and his family are congregants at Temple Israel.

BRITTANY FELDMAN

Brittany was born and raised in Metro Detroit. She spent her childhood and early adulthood attending Jewish summer camp, which is where her passion for nature and community really blossomed. Over the past several years, Brittany has had the pleasure of working within the Metro Detroit Jewish community.

She started her career working as an outdoor educator for Tamarack Camps, where she helped participants foster deep connections and respect for nature through engaging hands-on programming. During her time at Hazon Detroit, she managed the Seal of Sustainability program where she was able to provide guidance and support to advance sustainability-related education, action and advocacy in Jewish institutions throughout the community.

Currently, Brittany works at Repair the World Detroit as its youth and family senior program associate. Through this role, she works closely with the community she grew up in while also building strong relationships with partners in the city. She is continuously inspired by the work she does and loves being able to give back to her community through meaningful service. In her free time, Brittany enjoys cooking, biking and spending time in nature.

ELI NEWMAN

Eli Newman is a nationally awarded journalist with WDET, Detroit’s National Public Radio station, covering government and community affairs. His stories on housing, water policy and public corruption have appeared on NPR, Marketplace and in the Detroit Free Press, among other publications.

Over his seven-year career, Eli has received numerous accolades from the Michigan Association of Broadcasters and the Society of Professional Journalists in Detroit. In 2017, Newman was named the Michigan Associated Press Media Editors Broadcast Rising Star. More recently, Eli won a first-place award from the Public Media Journalists Association for his work covering Detroit’s racial justice and anti-police brutality protests.

A lifelong resident of Southeast Michigan, Eli grew up in West Bloomfield, attended Hillel Day School and Frankel Jewish Academy, and spent his summers at Tamarack Camps, where he continued to work through college.

He earned a degree in Hebrew and Judaic cultural studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. He first developed an interest in broadcasting at the college’s student-run radio station, WCBN-FM. Eli was also involved in Michigan Hillel and participated in various volunteering opportunities.

He now resides in

Jonathon Margolis

Senior Vice President of Asset Management

Mazel Tov LAURA GOTTLIEB!

Temple Beth El’s Director of Cultural Resources

We’re so proud of you every day!

www.tbeonline.org

The Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor wishes a hearty mazel tov to Rachael Dawson-Baglien

for being recognized on the “36 under 36” list!

Thank you for your leadership and dedication to building community for Jewish Young Professionals in the Ann Arbor area!

Mazal Tov to our own, Mrs. Mio!

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Northwest Detroit with his wife, Olivia.

JESSICA DAVIDOV

Jessica Davidov is finishing her last year at Wayne State University Law School. For the last five years, Jessica worked as a law clerk at the firm of Osipov Bigelman P.C., a boutique law firm specializing in bankruptcy matters, real estate and commercial litigation. Jessica has also worked as civil rights and technology policy legal intern at the Anti-Defamation League, an organization geared toward protecting civil rights and fighting against all forms of hate. Previously a fellow for the Detroit Center for Civil Discourse, Jessica currently sits on the board of Hillel of Metro Detroit as a Board of Governor.

Some of her most memorable experiences are associated with work in Israel. As a Fulbright Scholar, Jessica completed a nine-month project teaching English to future educators in Israel whose native languages were Hebrew or Arabic.

Some of her accomplishments include her work during her undergraduate studies. Jessica revitalized the Students for Israel organization at Wayne State University. As president of the organization, she created a platform to enhance dialogue about Israel and amplify a broad spectrum of viewpoints. The organization led to the creation of many interfaith initiatives while also creating a platform to educate students about issues minority groups face globally and the diversity of the people in the Middle East.

Jessica is a first-generation American. Her family comes from Azerbaijan, and she has witnessed firsthand all the struggles and challenges her family had to endure to better themselves and their community.

A motto Jessica adopted is always to remember where you come from, know your history and light the path for all around you. Jessica is committed to using her experiences and education to better the city of Detroit and strengthen the Jewish community.

OUR COMMUNITY

NOAH COHEN

Being Jewish and a part of this community has always been very important to Noah. Growing up, his parents instilled in him how important it was to give back. From a young age, he was involved with Temple Israel from Sunday school to Hebrew school to becoming a bar mitzvah. He is an avid fundraiser for JDRF and participates in one walk every year. He’s also been on the B’nai Brith bowling league for more than 20 years.

Since the Jewish community is a very small community worldwide, he wants his future children to understand their heritage and what our ancestors had to overcome to give us what we have today. To never forget the story of our survival and pay it forward, he has been fortunate to visit Israel through Birthright and

learn an incredible amount about the history of Judaism, which brought him closer to his religion.

As a recently married man, he and his wife, Dana, have Shabbat dinner every Friday night and always keep their doors open to anyone who would like to join.

Outside of his work as a Realtor (www.melaniesold. com), which doesn’t leave him much time for anything outside of family, his favorite hobbies are racing cars or riding his Harley. He has been involved with building racecars for both a ¼-mile run or track. Sometimes he and Dana jump on their Harleys and head north for a carefree ride and adventure.

LINDSAY SIKORA

Lindsay Sikora is the owner and lead counsel of Sikora Law Firm, a Farmington Hills law firm specializing in personal injury law and commercial litigation. Lindsay has devoted her career to helping injured individuals in the community rebuild their lives. Lindsay is also the owner of Sikora Business Solutions, a business consulting firm specializing in helping small business owners across the nation organize and systemize their businesses. Lindsay has been named a Michigan’s Super Lawyers “Rising Star” for the past five years and chosen as a Top Women Attorneys in Michigan by Hour Detroit Magazine.

Lindsay was born and raised in Metro Detroit and now raises her two children there with her husband, Matthew. She has contributed in many ways over the years to the Metro Detroit Jewish community.

Lindsay is a Hillel Day School alumni and participates in many Hillel events.

She recently served as the committee chair for the National Council of Jewish Women’s Green sub-committee, where she organized the efforts for the production and distribution of sleeping mats for Detroit’s homeless community. Lindsay and her family also assist yearly with the Jewish Federation’s Adopta-Family program, providing Chanukah presents to numerous Jewish families throughout the area.

Lindsay enjoys writing and has authored numerous published articles over the years, including in the Jewish News and Metro Parent Magazine.

Lindsay also loves tennis, cooking, doing art projects with her children and adventure travel. Her travels have led her to sky diving, white-water rafting, skiing, rock climbing and scuba diving all over the world.

MONICA ROSEN

Monica Woll Rosen has deep roots in Detroit, attending both Hillel Day School and the Frankel Jewish Academy. She is now an assistant professor at the University of Michigan, where she practices obstetrics and gynecology and specializes in pediatric and adolescent gynecology. She was voted as Ann Arbor’s Favorite

TOVMAZAL

TO FJA ALUMNI IN THE 2022 CLASS OF THE 36 UNDER 36

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OUR COMMUNITY

OBGYN in 2021 by the Ann Arbor Family Press.

In addition to her day job, Monica is an active member of Ann Arbor’s Jewish community. She is the immediate past president of the Ann Arbor Orthodox minyan where she continues to serve on the board, and she also serves on the board of the Hebrew Day School of Ann Arbor where her children go to school.

She is a grassroots Jewish leader who has initiated several core Jewish community programs in Ann Arbor.

During the pandemic, she organized weekly Shabbat activities for kids in a local park, including a community Tot Shabbat for younger kids and a mini minyan for elementary-aged kids.

Perhaps most importantly, she and her husband, Ben, are proud parents to three children: Solly, 7, Gavi, 5, and Mira, 2. On Sunday nights, Monica can be found playing a mean game of mahjong.

VERA NEWMAN

Born and raised in Panama City, Panama, Vera Newman grew up in a close-knit Jewish community with Sephardic influences. After marrying a native Detroiter and relocating to Michigan in June 2012, she began developing and experimenting with recipes that reflected her Syrian, Moroccan and Panamanian roots.

In November 2020, Vera published The Marblespoon Cookbook, the culmination of a year-long effort that included writing, styling and photographing all 160 recipes herself. The cookbook, which has sold nearly 10,000 copies to date, was a natural extension of Vera’s mission — to help busy moms cook delicious, easy and nourishing meals for their families.

Vera also shares recipes on her Instagram “cooking blog,” @marblespoon, in magazines like Whisk by Ami and websites like kosher.com. Fluent in English, Spanish and Hebrew, Vera gives cooking demonstrations over Zoom and Instagram.

Vera’s passion for cooking and party planning led her to start a private catering and event planning business in 2016, also named Marblespoon. Her goal? To beautify and enhance the celebrations marking the special milestones in people’s lives.

To give back to the Detroit Jewish community, Vera donates her time and services to support local organizations.

Ultimately, Vera seeks to utilize the talents God has blessed her with to help beautify the world and uplift others.

She lives in Oak Park with her husband and their four kids.