Publication: The Washington Times, December 24,
by Toni Marshall
Belles, beaus at the Matzo Ball
On Christmas Eve, holiday well-wishers gather with friends and family to exchange gifts and good cheer. Eggnog and hot apple cider flow freely, and furtive kisses under the mistletoe can ignite just the spark to bring two people closer together.
Hence, the holidays are filled with romance, resulting in the busiest time of the year for engagements, according to those most likely to know - jewelers. (U.S. Department of Commerce figures indicate that December accounts for more than one-fifth of total retail jewelry sales.)
Even those who don't celebrate Christmas recognize that it is a good time to spread good cheer and pull a potential loved one near.
Young Jewish professionals don't want to miss out on all the fun. Just because they don't toast the yuletide, that doesn't mean they want to sit home "ordering Chinese takeout and watching a holiday special on television," says Michael Goldstein, president of the local chapter of the Society of Young Jewish Professionals, which has sponsored the Matzo Ball every Christmas Eve for the past eight years.
[Andrew] Rudnick, founder of SYJP, gave the event that name because a co-worker used to tease him about eating matzo balls. The co-worker then suggested he have a matzo-ball party, and the Matzo Ball was born. [Matzo is unleavened bread eaten by Jews, especially during Passover, the holiday that commemorates the deliverance of ancient Hebrews from slavery in Egypt. Matzos (matzahs) are eaten throughout the year by Jews and Christians alike in specialties such as matzo ball soup.]
The Matzo Ball is not just some soupy affair - but a lively celebration that has been going on in cities nationwide for a decade. Actually, it's not a ball at all, but a casual party where people go to unwind. It has become one of the hottest hug-spots for Jewish singles to meet a mate for a lifetime or just to go out with on a couple of fun dates.
Mostly those under 30 attend the Matzo Ball.
Steve Klein, 32, of the District says he met the girl of his dreams, Amy, at a Matzo Ball in 1993, and he married her.
"I went to the ball just to have fun, to have a good time," says the sales representative for a high-tech computer company. The couple married two years later, on Sept. 30, 1995.
"So many people are there, and the atmosphere is conducive for girls to meet nice guys and vice versa. It was fortunate for me and my wife because we met there," he says.
Mr. Klein says about 95 percent of the folks who attend the Matzo Ball are single, so it is a good place to go if you are interested in meeting single Jewish people.
Although everyone is welcome, there may be more of a comfort level if you are Jewish.
"The clubs are generally large enough to hold a lot of people. It's even a great time to hang out; even married couples come out," he says.
More than 2,000 people from this area attended the Matzo Ball last year.
This is three times the number that attended the first ball a decade ago in Boston.
Mr. Klein hasn't gone to the ball in a couple of years but remembers it as a big party for hanging out with friends.
Members of SYJP plan parties throughout the year, many of them having catchy names associated with Jewish foods, such as the Meet the Knish party or the Lox Trot.
If you're lucky, you can accomplish much more than having a few dances or tossing back a few drinks.
Fortune could have you tying the knot sooner than you might have thought after an evening spent at the ball dancing or schmoozing. Cara Weiss, 27, of Potomac met her husband, Joel, at the ball in 1992.
"The Matzo Balls are a lot of fun. When you are single, it's the only thing you can do on Christmas Eve, and certainly for people not celebrating Christmas," says Mrs. Weiss, who is a party planner. She has attended balls in both Boston and Boca Raton.
The Weisses have been married three years. They were just college acquaintances until they hooked up at the ball and found out they had a lot in common. Now they are expecting their first child, due any day now.
Although she no longer attends the ball, Mrs. Weiss says she still knows people who attend the party and have developed relationships even if they didn't lead to marriage.
"It could be the place to meet Mr. Right," she says.
Mr. Klein says, "It's geared toward just having a great time. Whatever else happens is gravy."
The party is tonight at 8 at clubs in select locations throughout the country.
For a slightly older crowd, there is the Big Chill, which also is to be held tonight.
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