Ask Michael Vosko about home, and he'll tell you how moving away helped him appreciate where he came from. The 31-year-old West Bloomfield native, who left for a computer job in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2003, says he finds the camaraderie born out of metro Detroit's history doesn't exist most other places.
"You grew up there, your parents grew up in Detroit or grandparents grew up in Detroit, so there's generations of relationships of families," he says. "Everyone seems to know someone."
But moving didn't mean he wanted to leave the idea of community behind. Vosko is on the planning committee for ShabbatLuck, a group he helped found in 2007 to bring 20- and 30- something area Jews together for potluck Shabbat dinners. The group has expanded to a mailing list of 600 plus members who sign up to host and attend meals.
ShabbatLuck has partnered with other young Jewish groups and area synagogues for events including a potluck on a hiking trail, a break fast and seders. It also started a "cool shul" campaign to help young people get tickets for High Holiday services. Area synagogues donated over 200 tickets to the group last year and more are on board for this one, he says.
Back home last for a friend's wedding 4th of July weekend, he stayed with his parents in West Bloomfield and hung out in Novi. When he's in, Buddy's Pizza is a must, as is rye bread, which he claims delis do differently out West. He says he has heard it's the lack of moisture in the air that makes it harder to make. "It's a classic rye, usually with seeds, and it's okay, but it's not your crunchy deli rye that you get back East." His favorite deli in town: the Bread Basket.
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