PHOTOS BY JERRY ZOLYNSKY
Jews in the D on the cover
in Midtown
O
n a regular basis this summer, David Mincberg has been commuting 372.5 miles from Milwaukee to Midtown. If he’s lucky, it’s a commute that can be done in five hours, 15 minutes and a few seconds. Though, depending largely on unpredictable and undeniable traffic through Chicago, it can easily be closer to seven hours. By the time this article is published, Mincberg plans to be at-home in Detroit — more specifically Birmingham — with his wife, Allyson, and young sons Charlie and Isaac. The DC native, and son of a noted legal professional who served as the U.S. House Judiciary Committee’s chief counsel for oversight and investigations under Michigan Congressman John Conyers, is one of a rare breed this year: Jewish community members moving to town during an unprecedented pandemic who you’d like to invite over for Shabbat dinner, if only you could. The Mincbergs, already an enrolled family at Hillel Day School, ADAM FINKEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER didn’t envision being here just a few months ago. But it’s just one more surprise in a year filled with curveballs. This past June, the Detroit Pistons hired former Oklahoma City Thunder executive Troy Weaver as the new general manager. Weaver reached out and asked Mincberg to be his assistant general manager, which just happened to be his dream job. “I have known and admired Troy Weaver for a very long time,” Mincberg said. “He is one of the smartest, highest integrity people in the NBA. He is an unbelievable leader and I could not pass up this opportunity.” Mincberg, 39, was recruited from the Milwaukee Bucks, a top team in the Eastern Conference, where he served as director of basketball strategy. Mincberg said he and his wife are very excited to give back to the community. “It’s an incredible city and has much to offer as we work to build
Pistons’ Jewish execs are doing what they can to improve the team and earn a championship.
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AUGUST 27 • 2020
David and Josh with the Piston’s championship trophies.
