There’s A Group for That

ON THE COVER

There’s A Group for That

There’s A Group for That

Federation’s Affinities Department offers lots of options for Gen-Xers.

JENNIFER LOVY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Neil Sherman didn’t grow up in Metro Detroit and wanted a better understanding of the Jewish community.

Bill Goldstein “got invited to a fun event.”

Stacey Goodman wanted to give back to the organization that supported her family when she was younger. Her mom struggled financially, but she was able to go to Camp Tamarack because they received financial assistance.

Josh Rubin went to Israel on a Federation mission two years ago. When he returned, he vowed to “dig deep and give back, beyond just writing a check.”

Their paths to community involvement may be different, but each of these Gen-Xers is actively involved in the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit’s Affinities Department, created to engage adults in their 40s and 50s in the Jewish community.

“Federation was doing a great job with a younger demographic, but we realized we were kind of missing the mark with this segment of our community,” said Affinities Director Karen Kaplan. “We started thinking about how to engage this age group, which doesn’t necessarily want to sit on committees and really wants a reason to be involved. They’re all busy with their families and careers, and they’re looking for ways to get involved with the community that are meaningful to them. We realized that a really great way to engage them was to create these affinity groups.”

PROFESSIONAL GROUPS

“Find your tribe within the tribe” is the department’s tagline in reference to the special interest groups designed to bring like-minded people together for social, educational and networking opportunities.

The Maimonides Society (although formed before the department’s creation but now under its umbrella) connects

physicians to each other, the community and Jewish philanthropy through social and educational events and international mission opportunities.

While the Maimonides Society is the oldest group, the newest is an

COURTESY OF FEDERATION

continued on page 14 TOP: Neil Sherman & Randy

Wertheimer at the Real Estate Group event at the Shinola Hotel.

ABOVE: Josh Rubin was among the

particpants of the Andi & Larry Wolfe

Gen X Mission in Israel. FACING PAGE: Karen Kaplan and Jodi Feld

in Israel on the Forman Leadership Mission II.

ON THE COVER

Participants in the Andi & Larry Wolfe Gen X Mission in Israel.

continued from page 13

attorneys section that launched last fall.

The real estate group had a brainstorming session in 2020 to discuss the issues members faced due to the pandemic. According to Kaplan, participants offered great ideas on handling difficult situations created by COVID.

Sherman, a 45-year-old Bloomfield Hills real estate attorney and investor, is involved with the attorney and real estate groups. He says the nature of them is really about the organic connections made through participation.

“I’ve been connected to a number of individuals that I’ve subsequently done business with because of my involvement in the Affinities programs,” he said. “The program has set up some really incredible events and unique opportunities, too. For example, we had a tour of the Pistons’ practice facility and got a behind-the-scenes experience in the practice facility and then had a chance to listen to Pistons’ leadership talk from a real estate perspective, a business perspective and a city perspective. That’s like going to business camp. You can’t beat that.”

LOOKING FOR FUN

Not all groups are career-focused. There’s a men’s group called Pound for Pound, a social group with programs carefully designed to offer a “cool experience that makes guys want to leave their houses,” said Kaplan, 43. Whiskey tasting and axe throwing are two examples of recent programs.

And these are a fraction of what Affinities offers. In addition to a young women’s philanthropy group, there are mission programs for those who haven’t been to Israel or visited the country many years ago. There’s a mission for physicians and their spouses, as well as a trip for interfaith couples.

There are also what Kaplan calls entrée programs; Launch for men and Debut for women. Both started recently and are geared toward those looking to get involved in the community. These three-session programs expose participants to Federation and its agencies, and connect them to programs, events and committees that match their interests.

They also have broad Gen-X engagement programs, including annual mega events like an ’80s bash, late-night road rally and drive-in BINGlow, which typically sell out, attracting hundreds of participants.

“The events have just the right amount of Federation content to explain how important Federation is without pushing too hard on the solicitation side of things. It’s really a very different approach to fundraising. And it benefits everyone,” said Goldstein, a 58-year-old ophthalmologist.

Affinities has become one of Federation’s more successful programs, with some

participants crediting Kaplan for the program’s accomplishments.

“A number of us participate because of the overreaching gift she has to be a connector within our community. It’s a balancing act of putting on a great event, getting a strong group of people there, tying them to our community; and she’s masterful,” said Sherman.

Kaplan, however, praises the department’s associate director Jodi Feld, the lay leaders and Federation staff for the program’s achievements.

Even during the height of the pandemic, Affinities offered what Kaplan estimates to be 64 programs, from online speakers to a road rally and other socially distant events. One of her favorites, held in conjunction with the archives department, was an experiential package program that examined Velvet Peanut Butter and its Detroit Jewish roots. Participants picked up a package containing information about the archives and Velvet Peanut Butter and the ingredients to make chocolate peanut butter lava cookies.

Goodman, 45, became involved with Federation several years ago but said the Affinities programs drew her in because of what it offered young women and families.

“I think it’s important that this age group understand that if we don’t continue to come together and support those that have come before us, and those who will come after us, then our community will be at risk. We need to remember where we’ve come from and how we’ve gotten here. That message is crucial for our age group because we are now the ones leading the way.

“When you graduate college, people tell you that you’re the next generation. Well, we’re here. This is it,” she continued. “We’re the adults, edging on potentially having to take care of our parents or losing our parents, and we’re also at that point where we’re raising our children and teaching them about why it’s so important to be a part of this community and to continue on the tradition.”

Stacey Goodman, Lindsey Weitzman and Becca Schostak at the Drive-In BINGlow event at Shaarey Zedek’s Parking Lot.