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April 15, 2005/Nisan 6 5765, Volume 57, No. 33
Wanted: More for singles
Existing programs lack coordinated communal support
VICKI CABOT
Contributing Editor
The Jewish singles population - like most of the Valley's Jewish population - is growing by leaps and bounds. Later marriages and an increase in divorces have expanded its numbers and broadened its reach. No longer are Jewish singles just 20-somethings looking to meet and marry; the demographic ranges from those in their 20s to those in their 60s and beyond; to those who have never married, to those who are widowed or divorced; to those who are single parents, to those who are grandparents, to those who have never had children.
How to engage this cohort meaningfully - and meet their needs - has elicited divergent approaches and diverse programming. How to determine future direction, and allocate resources, underlies communal efforts to serve them.
Both singles and local Jewish professionals agree that singles represent a legitimate interest and that the current level of programming needs to be assessed.
"There is a need for singles services, especially for those over 40," said Glenn Siegel, who has resided in the Valley for more than 30 years and is currently single.
"We need a place to meet, to go, to do things," said the one-time president of the Jewish Association of Singles Services (JASS), which was an umbrella agency of singles services previously associated with the Jewish community centers. JASS is still functioning as a singles group but without communal affiliation.
"There are not a lot of activities for singles," said Barbara Allyn, current JASS director, "and we feel that there is a real need for that."
A variety of groups attempt to meet those needs. In September 2004, Karyn Jesser and Sheryl Weinberger formed Scottsdale Jewish Singles.
The group's mission is to get Jewish singles together to meet, to socialize and to make friends, said Jesser, who is divorced and a single parent of a 17-year-old son. She notes that SJS offers a variety of activities, from monthly hikes and Friday night dinners to parties and other social gatherings. Jesser said the group attracts 20-80 singles at its outreach events, a dozen or so for the smaller events.
Allyn, of JASS, said her group sponsors two to four events a month that can draw anywhere from a handful to 50 people.
The Phoenix Community Kollel, which initiated its matchmaking service two months ago, said it has collected 85 names in its database, ranging in ages from 18-76. The group is sponsoring a Singles Shmooze on April 20 featuring Grayson Levy, founder of the religious dating Web site, Frumster.com.
But Siegel, Jesser and Allyn suggest that there is a need for broader programming initiatives under communal auspices that would draw more people.
"There is not a central place to meet and not an organization reaching out to the entire Jewish community," said Siegel. He said that area synagogues could do more but suggests that the Valley of the Sun Jewish Community Center would be an ideal location and organizer.
Singles programming at the center has been curtailed this year, pending an evaluation of its adult services offerings, according to Mark Shore, VOSJCC executive director. Sara Pear, whose responsibilities included overseeing singles activities when the center opened in September 2002, left the center at the end of last year. At that time, singles programming was folded into adult programming. Currently, Suzanne Swift, a part-time employee, is the adult services director.
Shore said the center is looking at who the VOSJCC serves and how -- locally, through an ongoing communal planning process spearheaded by Jewish Federation of Greater Phoenix, and nationally through its affiliation with centers around the country.
"We are looking at how people will participate in the Jewish community and will look at how singles connect," said Shore, noting the inherent difficulty in meeting the needs of the broad variation in age and life stage of the singles population. "We think there needs to be some (singles) programs, but we are not sure if everyone knows what those programs are."
Fred Zeidman, federation assistant executive director, explained that the Community Planning Initiative, an outgrowth of the community's 2002 demographic study, has identified five priority areas: newcomers, Jewish participation, Jewish youth and continuity, services for the vulnerable and services for the elderly.
Zeidman noted that while singles was not identified as one of the priorities, it will, in context, be part of the discussion and figure into communal strategies as the group considers both those new in the community and issues of Jewish participation.
"The (singles) issue has come up in our community conversations," said Zeidman, referring to ongoing focus groups around the Valley to assess needs.
Adam Schwartz, federation executive director, said he is aware of the desire for more singles programming.
"We have an obligation to look at what is available for singles," he said, "especially for those over the age of 45."
The federation's Young Leadership Division (YLD) provides opportunities for educational and communal involvement as well as socializing for singles under the age of 45.
"YLD is for people to connect with our organization, with each other and with the community," Schwartz said. According to Hal Ossman, YLD director, the group currently has a mailing list of some 2,000. Its annual holiday party, Mazelpalooza, attracted more than 500 singles this past December.
One approach to meeting singles' needs is through adult programming open to both marrieds and singles. Irwin Kanefsky, VOSJCC board president, said that many of the center's adult programs are integrative.
"There is programming that addresses people with an interest in a specific area," he said, noting a recent Bronx reunion hosted at the center.
Kanefsky also explained that cost is a factor in making programmatic decisions and notes that center administrative and overhead expenses must be considered. Membership fees help to defray costs, though singles events have been open to both members and nonmembers. Currently there are 555 individual VOSJCC memberships (some married, some single) out of a total 2,100 member units.
Siegel, the former JASS president, said that more support would emanate from the singles community if there was a perception that their needs were being addressed.
"There are plenty of singles who would be willing to give to the JCC but who feel that the JCC does not care about singles," he said.
Cost is an ongoing issue.
"We can't do things if we don't at least break even," said Kanefsky. "We can't afford to lose money." He notes the difficulty in contracting for an outside venue for a social event and then not attracting the requisite number of attendees to cover costs. Past VOSJCC singles events included speed dating, a coffee house and a karaoke night.
Jesser noted that a SJS picnic for this weekend is a bring-your-own barbecue as organizers do not know how many people will attend.
She also said that while integrative programming may attract some singles, many are looking for programming targeted specifically at their demographic.
Jesser suggested that the community needs to make singles programming a priority. It is an investment in Jewish continuity and participation.
"The more (single Jews) who meet and marry people, the more they will strengthen our culture and raise their children in the Jewish faith as our parents raised us," she said.
For a list of singles groups, see the 2005 Jewish News Community Directory at www.jewishaz.com.
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