Look Who’s Coming to Shabbat Dinner
As a single jewish girl living in New York City, I have an endless choice of single events to attend. Trying to choose the right venue or event can be a challenge. I’ve tried them all, and like most of you, I have positive and negative things to say about everything I’ve attended. Of all the events I go to, my favorite is always Shabbat.
Shabbat dinners have so much to offer, and regardless of whether I meet a potential date, I never leave feeling unsatisfied. Although the food may not always taste like the kind of home cooking you might be used, it is never unsavory. Occasionally, there are even potluck dinners, which are held at people’s homes throughout the city. I have not attended one of those yet, but I have done B’nai Jeshurun’s(BJ’s) Shabbat in the Park and it was great fun. I especially enjoyed it because I was able to make a whole spread, which also happened to draw curiosity from other attendees. I really liked sharing my food with others, meeting new people and enjoying time with my friends in the beautiful spring weather. It remains one of my most memorable Shabbat experiences. (BJ’s has a group for singles in their 20s and 30s which you can check out at http://www.bjtzeirim.org/)
If you are looking to attend services, have a great meal, meet people and learn a little something as well, I recommend checking out MJE’s varied Shabbat Dinners, held on the UES, UWS and downtown. My favorite part of these evenings is always the lectures that follow the meal. The topics are usually very interesting and thought provoking, and how can you go wrong with three different locations to choose from. (For information on the MJE’s Shabbat schedule, check out http://www.jewishexperience.org/shabbat/friday-night-dinners)
A few weeks ago, I decided to check out Shabbat dinner at the JCC on the UWS. I have to say my expectations were pretty low. The last time I had attended a dinner at the JCC, it hadn’t gone so well. One side of my table that night were a couple of guys from Canada who keep making obnoxious comments, and on the other side was my friend and her ex, whom she said she wanted to avoid, but then proceeded to talk to the entire night. The only bright part of the evening was the hot Israeli actor who spoke later in the night about the play he was currently staring in for Israeli week. So you can see my trepidation about this upcoming Shabbat, but later I realized this actually turned out to be a benefit. Because I had no to low expectations, I wasn’t stressing about whether I would meet a guy or anyone for that matter. I could just sit back and be myself, and it turned out to be one of the most fun Shabbat dinners I have gone to in a long time.
The table my friend Leah and I sat at was great. I even ran into someone I knew from my NiceJewishGirlsNYC Group. Everyone was very friendly and made an effort to get to know each other. I think this is the key to any Shabbat dinner. If you make the effort to get to know someone, they will do the same. We all chatted about a variety of topics, including dating, and joked about our different experiences. There were some very interesting stories flying around our table that night. In fact, we kind of forgot that there we other people at other tables in the room. In the end, I did ended up meeting a nice jewish guy to hang out with, and left the evening with a renewed interest in attending more Shabbat Dinners. (For a listing of 20’s and 30s event at the JCC check out, http://www.jccmanhattan.org/category.aspx?catid=1007&pID=1279)
With that renewed interest, my NiceJewishGirlsNYC Group is heading to the 92Y Tribeca this Friday for a comedy- themed Shabbat Dinner. It should be a fun filled evening of food,laughs and good people, and I am sure no matter what happens, we will all walk away with something postive. (For more information on the 92Y Tribeca, check-out http://www.92y.org/shop/category.asp?category=88892Tri+92Tribeca+Jewish+Life888)
Next time you’re thinking about going to a singles event, I hope you’ll consider Shabbat dinner. You never know what the evening will hold. You might learn something or you might even meet some new and interesting people. All you have to do is show-up and be yourself, but you will never know unless you try.
