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MARCH 12 WAS "SHABBAT ACROSS AMERICA" — an excellent idea to bring Jews
back to the joys of Jewish observance.
It’s a national program where Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and
Reconstructionist synagogues around North America invite all Jews for a
traditional Friday night dinner and Shabbat service.
It’s a nice idea. But it doesn’t go far enough.
Synagogues and Jewish organizations constantly worry about assimilation
and how to ensure Jewish continuity. But they rarely make the connection
to singles.
It’s simple. Singles are the potential future for Judaism. If we don’t
marry soon and marry Jewish, the number of Jews in the next generation
will be greatly diminished.
The National Jewish Outreach Program should be congratulated for its
Shabbat events and other programs. And the participating synagogues
should be praised as well. But the efforts are missing a key target.
Several synagogues and other Jewish institutions offer model seders to
teach Passover observance. But that’s not enough. A model seder is just
dress rehearsal.
When you’re single on Passover and you are away from your parents, you
rely on the kindness of strangers.
Do you want to alienate a Jewish single? Just leave him/her alone for the
seders. On the nights when Jewish impulses sound strongest,
let a single be home with a few sheets of matzah with a dinner on a TV
table watching the evening news.
The Passover seder, the Hagaddah, the food and all that goes with it are
a high point of Jewish observance. It’s studying and celebrating. It’s
eating special foods and remembering or learning traditions that we
practice only eight days a year.
And for almost every Jewish community, it’s a missed opportunity to do
something about the problems of losing a generation of Jews.
I understand the logic of the events of the National Jewish Outreach
Program. Shabbat is once a week. Get a Jew to observe Shabbat and
they’ll be more observant all year round.
But sometimes, that might be asking too much. And maybe the seders
should be the first step.
I’m single. My parents live in Florida, where they’ll be for the seders.
And at this point, I have an invitation for one of the seders. (Yes,
Harry, I will accept your gracious invitation. I’ll let you know which
night.) But for the other seder, I have no place to go. But I’m probably
one of the lucky ones.
Look at the other side. Inviting a guest into your home can make your
seder more enjoyable — with new questions and maybe even new traditions.
We should never tire of telling the tale of our people’s Exodus from
Egypt.
But the story becomes even more interesting when told or questioned by a
different voice.
What can you do?
You can call your synagogue and ask if there is
anyone who needs a place for a seder. And you can already start
organizing for Passover 2000. A synagogue, a federation or Jewish
organization should sponsor a singles seder on at least one of the
nights. With planning, it could be done at a Jewish community center or
a shul. Other congregations might expand their efforts to find places at
seder tables for those with nowhere to go.
This year, we can just make due with the hope that next year the Jewish
institutions will do
Jewish World Review March 23, 1999 / 6 Nissan, 5759
Singles and the
seder problem
By Ron Ostroff
The evening of March 31 is the first Passover seder. Studies by kosher
marketers show that Passover brings more Jews back to some level of
observance than almost any other.
Ron Ostroff is editor and publisher of The Jewish State, an independent
weekly newspaper based in Highland Park and covering Central New Jersey. For subscription information or to contact the author, click here,or call: (732) 393-0023.
