Here is my review of the long awaited Jewish singles “Night Out” held on April 27, 2013:

Over 80 people mingled in the beautifully decorated auditorium at the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. They enjoyed a fun casino and earning tickets for great silent auction prizes. Trio Bembe entertained with Latin jazz and a spontaneous salsa dancing lesson that got the room up and partying.

Guests sampled wines from Kenaston Wine Market. Shaarey Zedek catering outdid themselves with hot hors d’oeuvres. Amazing desserts followed: cinnamon torte, blueberry cheesecake, chocolate decadence cake, dainties, fruit and a chocolate fountain. The food itself was worth the price of admission!

One of the great successes of this event, according to Jewish Federation organizer Rena Elbaze, “…was the enormous support from all the community institutions involved. Congregation Shaarey Zedek, Congregation Etz Chayim, Herzlia-Adas Yeshurun, Temple Shalom and the Rady JCC all wanted to be a part of this initiative to let Jewish singles know that this community cares about them.”

With these community partners on board, the first Jewish singles event in about 25 years was designed to offer 40 to 60 year olds an opportunity to network, socialize, make connections and simply have a night out.

The female to male ratio was about 3 to 1. What wasn’t expected was the interest expressed by singles in their 60’s and 70’s. Both of these facts create interesting future opportunities for our community.

Clearly, there are two demographics that are looking for ways to connect. One opportunity will be to create two singles groups, one for 36-54 (approx.) year olds and one for 55+.

The type of events that are offered need to attract more men.  Any men out there who would like to sit on the planning committee are more than welcome!

Newer Winnipeggers (Argentinian, South African, Russian, and Israeli) are another group that could be targeted. It is even more challenging for singles that don’t have deep connections in Winnipeg to feel comfortable and welcome at events like this.

Now that this first event is under our belts, the planning committee will expand to include singles from these groups to plan future events and help get the word out to as many people as possible.

Upcoming events catering to the demographic groups separately will be a barbeque and a cooking class in June/July.

If you would like to help plan one of the upcoming events, or if you have any questions or suggestions, please contact Rena Elbaze, Federation’s Jewish Engagement Specialist, at 204- 477-7473 or [email protected].