Tamar Schiller, 30, thinks Detroit could learn a thing or two from Omaha, Nebraska, where she lives these days. The West Bloomfield native, who left for Chicago in 2006 and moved to Omaha in 2009, says she wants to see her hometown recognize that it's quality, not quantity that matters when it comes to community.
“Even with a small community you can still be active and involved,” she says of her experience as a young Jewish professional in Omaha. “You can still have a visible Jewish community with a tenth of the community that Detroit has.”
She says that while there's not as much to do Jewishly, there's still enough to keep busy, and a long history of Jewish families around town--some have lived there over 100 years, she says. “The funny thing about Omaha in general is that you can't say you're from here unless you were born here.”
The Michigan State University graduate is working as a claims attorney, and in her spare time sings in a choir, reads, travels, and participates in area activities. She especially enjoyed the Iowa State Fair this summer, she says.
She misses being close to Canada and the Franklin Cider Mill, driving 70 miles per hour down I-696, and her family, but says Detroit's a tough place to find work. It's also a changing Jewish scene, she says, noting especially the closing of Shaarey Zedek's B'nai Israel Center, which her family had been involved with since she was 12.
She says home's an interesting mix of people who grew up and stayed, like their parents did, and those passing through who left. “But it's always nice when I go back, and I see other kids who come back and say where they are now. We swap stories,” she says.
No comments:
Post a Comment