Matzo Ball
Encyclopedia
The Matzo Ball is an annual Christmas Eve
nightlife event and party held in a number of major cities in the United States and Canada targeted primarily at young Jewish singles and organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals.
The name of the event is frequently spelled MatzoBall or misspelled as Matzah Ball or MatzahBall.
There are a number of competing social events in Jewish communities throughout the country held that same night. In addition, Matzo Ball and similar spellings are also used as the names for a variety of other, unrelated Jewish community events in particular regions.
The atmosphere of religious liberalism and tolerance in the United States has offered American Jews the opportunity to enjoy the holiday period.
At the same time, many American Jews
do not engage in the same family-gathering activities on the Christmas holiday that Christians in the United States do.
Thus, with Christmas Day a work holiday throughout the United States, there is a space of unfilled free time during which much of American commerce and society is not functioning. The night of December 24 has become an opportunity to transform this otherwise brief period of alienation or loneliness into one made to gather, socialize, network, drink, flirt, and romance. The event has turned Christmas Eve into a matchmaking or dating event for young Jews and "the biggest singles night of the year."
The first Matzo Ball event was held in Boston
in 1987 and organized by local social figure Andy Rudnick. The event has permeated American Jewish consciousness, even winding up in fiction.
time for the state/locality, with peak attendance and crowds at approximately midnight.
It has expanded to the following cities:
The Matzo Ball has ceded Los Angeles
to the much more long-standing Schmooz-a-Palooza hosted by Stu & Lew Productions (which was acquired by JDate
in 2006).
The event is organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals, an organization created by the founder of the event, Andy Rudnick. The organizers believe that more than 1,000 marriages have resulted from meetings at various Matzo Balls, and Rudnick himself met his wife at a Matzo Ball.
In 2008, the organizer of The Ball, LetMyPeopleGo, attempted to expand the event into 24 other cities with significant Jewish populations. In almost all of those cities, with local marketing and co-hosting of the event performed by JDate, it was cancelled near the event date.
The Matzo Ball is an annual Christmas Eve
nightlife event and party held in a number of major cities in the United States and Canada targeted primarily at young Jewish singles and organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals.Jessica Gresko, Dec. 24 Becomes Party Night for Jewish Singles, Associated Press (Washington Post), December 24, 2006Mike Cohen, Famous Matzo Ball parties to land here, Jewish Tribune (Canada), November 10, 2009
The name of the event is frequently spelled MatzoBallJoe Berkofsky, Christmas time inspires Jews 'to express own Jewishness' , JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), reprinted in j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California, December 20, 2002Party pics: 12th Annual MatzoBall party, MetroMix.com, 2008 or misspelled as Matzah BallThe Matzah Ball at KISS & FLY - Thursday, Dec 24th 2009, Rhythmism.com - Upcoming Events forum, 2009 or MatzahBall.Roy S. Gutterman, Hitting the Road to Check Out the Scene During Holiday Season, The (Philadelphia) Jewish Exponent, January 8, 2009Society of Jewish Young Professionals, Press Release: Record 10,000 Jewish Singles to Attend Matzo Ball® Parties on December 24, PRWebDirect.com, December 20, 2005
There are a number of competing social events in Jewish communities throughout the country held that same night. In addition, Matzo Ball and similar spellings are also used as the names for a variety of other, unrelated Jewish community events in particular regions.
The atmosphere of religious liberalism and tolerance in the United States has offered American Jews the opportunity to enjoy the holiday period.
At the same time, many American Jews
do not engage in the same family-gathering activities on the Christmas holiday that Christians in the United States do.Brenda Lane Richardson, Deciding to Celebrate Christmas, or Not, New York Times, December 16, 1987Daniel J. Wakin, Off on Yom Kippur? It's Probably Time To Work a Holiday, New York Times, December 22, 2003
Thus, with Christmas Day a work holiday throughout the United States, there is a space of unfilled free time during which much of American commerce and society is not functioning. The night of December 24 has become an opportunity to transform this otherwise brief period of alienation or loneliness into one made to gather, socialize, network, drink, flirt, and romance.Jennifer 8. Lee, Things to Do if You Don’t Do Christmas, New York Times, December 23, 2004 The event has turned Christmas Eve into a matchmaking or dating event for young JewsBen Harris and Jacob Berkman, Hitting the Matzo Balls on Christmas Eve, JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency),December 31, 2007This Jewish singles party comes but once a year, Christmas Eve has become the hottest annual date for meeting a potential mate, Philadelphia Inquirer, December 25, 2003, available via http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_multi=PI|&p_product=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_site=philly&s_trackval=PI&s_search_type=keyword&s_dispstring=%22matzoball%22%20AND%20%22christmas%20eve%22%20AND%20date%28all%29&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=%28%22matzoball%22%20AND%20%22christmas%20eve%22%29&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no&s_trackval=GooglePMNewsbank Archives] and "the biggest singles night of the year."Meredith Goldstein, Looking for a marry little holiday?, Boston Globe, December 24, 2008
The first Matzo Ball event was held in Boston
in 1987 and organized by local social figure Andy Rudnick. The event has permeated American Jewish consciousness, even winding up in fiction.Francesca Segrè, Daughter of the Bride, 2006, pp. 243-244
time for the state/locality, with peak attendance and crowds at approximately midnight.PepGiraffe, Twas the Night Before Christmas, 2007, PepGiraffe, 2007
It has expanded to the following cities:Society of Young Jewish Professionals, Select Your City, MatzoBall.org, 2009
The Matzo Ball has ceded Los Angeles
to the much more long-standing Schmooz-a-Palooza hosted by Stu & Lew Productions (which was acquired by JDate
in 2006Press Release, Spark Networks Acquires Schmooz-a-Palooza, OnlineDatingScene, December 7, 2006).
The event is organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals, an organization created by the founder of the event, Andy Rudnick. The organizers believe that more than 1,000 marriages have resulted from meetings at various Matzo Balls, and Rudnick himself met his wife at a Matzo Ball.Plans Under Way for holiday 'Matzo Ball' in Boca, Elsewhere, Boca Raton/Delray Beach News, November 4, 2007, p. 6A, available via Google News
In 2008, the organizer of The Ball, LetMyPeopleGo, attempted to expand the event into 24 other cities with significant Jewish populations.'challahbackgirl', Move over Latke Ball, The Ball 2008 is in Town, Jews' Next Dor, December 12, 2008, archived at WebCitation.orgPress Release, The Ball 2008 in Ft Lauderdale- The Nation's Biggest Jewish Singles Event (Christmas Eve, December 24), EventBrite.com, 2008, archived at WebCitation.org In almost all of those cities, with local marketing and co-hosting of the event performed by JDate, it was cancelled near the event date.Fritz Hahn, Rhome Anderson and David Malitz, Nightlife Agenda, Washington Post, December 20, 2007 ("Correction to This Article: The Ball, originally listed under Dec. 25, has been cancelled.")
The Matzo Ball is an annual Christmas Eve
nightlife event and party held in a number of major cities in the United States and Canada targeted primarily at young Jewish singles and organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals.Jessica Gresko, Dec. 24 Becomes Party Night for Jewish Singles, Associated Press (Washington Post), December 24, 2006Mike Cohen, Famous Matzo Ball parties to land here, Jewish Tribune (Canada), November 10, 2009
The name of the event is frequently spelled MatzoBallJoe Berkofsky, Christmas time inspires Jews 'to express own Jewishness' , JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), reprinted in j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California, December 20, 2002Party pics: 12th Annual MatzoBall party, MetroMix.com, 2008 or misspelled as Matzah BallThe Matzah Ball at KISS & FLY - Thursday, Dec 24th 2009, Rhythmism.com - Upcoming Events forum, 2009 or MatzahBall.Roy S. Gutterman, Hitting the Road to Check Out the Scene During Holiday Season, The (Philadelphia) Jewish Exponent, January 8, 2009Society of Jewish Young Professionals, Press Release: Record 10,000 Jewish Singles to Attend Matzo Ball® Parties on December 24, PRWebDirect.com, December 20, 2005
There are a number of competing social events in Jewish communities throughout the country held that same night. In addition, Matzo Ball and similar spellings are also used as the names for a variety of other, unrelated Jewish community events in particular regions.
The atmosphere of religious liberalism and tolerance in the United States has offered American Jews the opportunity to enjoy the holiday period.
At the same time, many American Jews
do not engage in the same family-gathering activities on the Christmas holiday that Christians in the United States do.Brenda Lane Richardson, Deciding to Celebrate Christmas, or Not, New York Times, December 16, 1987Daniel J. Wakin, Off on Yom Kippur? It's Probably Time To Work a Holiday, New York Times, December 22, 2003
Thus, with Christmas Day a work holiday throughout the United States, there is a space of unfilled free time during which much of American commerce and society is not functioning. The night of December 24 has become an opportunity to transform this otherwise brief period of alienation or loneliness into one made to gather, socialize, network, drink, flirt, and romance.Jennifer 8. Lee, Things to Do if You Don’t Do Christmas, New York Times, December 23, 2004 The event has turned Christmas Eve into a matchmaking or dating event for young JewsBen Harris and Jacob Berkman, Hitting the Matzo Balls on Christmas Eve, JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency),December 31, 2007This Jewish singles party comes but once a year, Christmas Eve has become the hottest annual date for meeting a potential mate, Philadelphia Inquirer, December 25, 2003, available via http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_multi=PI|&p_product=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_site=philly&s_trackval=PI&s_search_type=keyword&s_dispstring=%22matzoball%22%20AND%20%22christmas%20eve%22%20AND%20date%28all%29&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=%28%22matzoball%22%20AND%20%22christmas%20eve%22%29&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no&s_trackval=GooglePMNewsbank Archives] and "the biggest singles night of the year."Meredith Goldstein, Looking for a marry little holiday?, Boston Globe, December 24, 2008
The first Matzo Ball event was held in Boston
in 1987 and organized by local social figure Andy Rudnick. The event has permeated American Jewish consciousness, even winding up in fiction.Francesca Segrè, Daughter of the Bride, 2006, pp. 243-244
time for the state/locality, with peak attendance and crowds at approximately midnight.PepGiraffe, Twas the Night Before Christmas, 2007, PepGiraffe, 2007
It has expanded to the following cities:Society of Young Jewish Professionals, Select Your City, MatzoBall.org, 2009
The Matzo Ball has ceded Los Angeles
to the much more long-standing Schmooz-a-Palooza hosted by Stu & Lew Productions (which was acquired by JDate
in 2006Press Release, Spark Networks Acquires Schmooz-a-Palooza, OnlineDatingScene, December 7, 2006).
The event is organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals, an organization created by the founder of the event, Andy Rudnick. The organizers believe that more than 1,000 marriages have resulted from meetings at various Matzo Balls, and Rudnick himself met his wife at a Matzo Ball.Plans Under Way for holiday 'Matzo Ball' in Boca, Elsewhere, Boca Raton/Delray Beach News, November 4, 2007, p. 6A, available via Google News
In 2008, the organizer of The Ball, LetMyPeopleGo, attempted to expand the event into 24 other cities with significant Jewish populations.'challahbackgirl', Move over Latke Ball, The Ball 2008 is in Town, Jews' Next Dor, December 12, 2008, archived at WebCitation.orgPress Release, The Ball 2008 in Ft Lauderdale- The Nation's Biggest Jewish Singles Event (Christmas Eve, December 24), EventBrite.com, 2008, archived at WebCitation.org In almost all of those cities, with local marketing and co-hosting of the event performed by JDate, it was cancelled near the event date.Fritz Hahn, Rhome Anderson and David Malitz, Nightlife Agenda, Washington Post, December 20, 2007 ("Correction to This Article: The Ball, originally listed under Dec. 25, has been cancelled.") However, the Los Angeles version of The Ball, which was instead co-sponsored and co-marketed by the young adults divisions of the LA Guardians, the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging foundation, was successful and held again in 2009.Julie Spira, Jewish Singles Gather in LA to Celebrate the Holidays in Style and Support the Elderly, Huffington Post, December 28, 2009Alysia Gray Painter, Mix and Be Merry at The Ball: Jewish singles hobnob in Hollywood on December 24th, NBC Los Angeles, December 23, 2009Young Divisions' Holiday Ball, The Guardian (newsletter), Winter 2009, p. 10
The sheer number of events, combined with the compactness of Manhattan, means that events are often held within a short walking distance, if not eyesight of one another.
Likewise, Chicago Jewish Christmas Eve events run the gamut of tastes and preferred crowd. These include gatherings named 'Rockmitzvah', 'Hubukkah', the 'Heebonism' bash (sponsored by Heeb Magazine
), and the more mainstream 'The Juju Ball' and 'Retro Eve', a long running but now defunct event.Sarah Preston, Matzo Tov!, Chicago Magazine blog, December 11, 2008
Washington DC also has a long standing free event, the Gefilte Fish Gala, usually held on December 24, except if the 24th falls on the Jewish Sabbath of Friday night.
Atlanta, which had previously hosted an annual "Matzah Ball" unrelated to the SYJP event, continues to have competing events for both mainstream audiences, such as the 'Bagel Bash',SCENE: MUSIC / PARTY / CHARITY, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 29, 2005, p. P24, available via NewsBankSCENE: NIGHTWATCH: Bagel Bash to tell hole story at Tavern, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 23, 2004, p. P24, available via NewsBank and niche groups, such as the local NCJW section's recently inaugurated 'Santa Klutz Ball' for older singles.Jonathan Barach, Thought You’d Like to Know, The Jewish Georgian, November-December 2009, p. 9
Denver, which also hosted an unaffiliated Matzah Ball even in the past, is now home to a similar event called Heebonism. The first Denver Heebonism took place in 2007.
Vodka Latke, and Phoenix's
Mazelpalooza,Leisah Woldoff, Mazelpalooza rolls out red carpet for YJP, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, November 21, 2008 all of which are sponsored by their respective Jewish Federation
's young professional
s division.
in 2006. The event has evolved over the years from a social mixer to a party atmosphere, and brings together many southern Californians who have not seen each other since their younger years in Jewish communal settings.Keren Engelberg, Have a Holly Jolly Schmooz-fest, Jewish Journal (Los Angeles), December 18, 2003Danny Baram, Christmas Time for the Jew, DannyBaram.Blogspot.com, December 23, 2008 It is also a noted opportunity for reconnecting and romance.Alie Ward, Your week, on a platter: Dec. 24-30 brings you horny Jews and Hamburger combovers, Metromix.com, December 24, 2007
The Jewish Community Center
of Dallas had organized its "Matzoh Ball" beginning in either 1981Get Out There!, The Dallas Morning News, December 22, 2008, available via Google News Archives/NewsBank or 1984.Weekly Planner, The Dallas Morning News, December 15, 2001, available via Google News Archives/NewsBank The Dallas event continues under that name currentlyKatey Margolis, Kosher Kisses, Dallas Observer, December 23, 2009 and is unaffiliated with the Matzo Ball event and Rudnick. Atlanta also had its own "Matzah Ball" for many years.Detours: Alterna-thrills, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 9, 2006, p. 28, available via Google News/NewsBank
of Greater Los Angeles
entertainment division organized a late spring "Matzah Bowl" event for a number of years, beginning in 1996.Mike Levy, Calendar, (Los Angeles) Jewish Journal, May 10, 2001 In Atlanta, the promoter of the 'Bagel Bash' organized an early spring bowling function for singles called the "Matzah Bowl"."Fat Asian Baby", Parents Pissed About That Shiksa You, FatAsianBaby.Blogspot.com, March 4, 2005 In 2009, local music promoters Melissa Stonehill-Publicity and Alex Gutman aka Just Us Productions in New York City, organized a Christmas Eve musical event at Brooklyn Bowl, co-sponsored by Israel's New York Consulate General, dubbed "The Matzah Bowl".And To All a Good Night, New York Times, December 23, 2009Brooklyn Bowl's First Annual Matzah Bowl! - Inaugural Tribal Music Festival, Brooklyn Bowl, 2009 The event derived its name in part from its location in a Brooklyn bowling alley. The event then took on the name "Jolly Bowl" and still continues with great success. http://www.greenpointnews.com/entertainment/honey-bowl-at-brooklyn-bowl
.KSUViolet06, What's your big thing(s)?, GreekChat.com, August 15, 2004
The Greater Kansas City Council of BBYO and its AZA
Nordaunian
chapter sponsor a large annual teen dance called the Matzo Ball, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in April 2010.Kansas City Star, March 31, 2004, p. 24, available via NewsBankRick Hellman, Nordaunian AZA alumni plan reunion alongside Matzo Ball, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, April 2, 2010
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
nightlife event and party held in a number of major cities in the United States and Canada targeted primarily at young Jewish singles and organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals.
The name of the event is frequently spelled MatzoBall or misspelled as Matzah Ball or MatzahBall.
There are a number of competing social events in Jewish communities throughout the country held that same night. In addition, Matzo Ball and similar spellings are also used as the names for a variety of other, unrelated Jewish community events in particular regions.
Background
Historically, Jews in Europe would hide in their homes and villages during the Christmas holiday, for fear of violence from locals. In the United States, Christmas and Christmas Eve typically serve as times of family gathering and prayer for Christians and many others.The atmosphere of religious liberalism and tolerance in the United States has offered American Jews the opportunity to enjoy the holiday period.
At the same time, many American Jews
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
do not engage in the same family-gathering activities on the Christmas holiday that Christians in the United States do.
Thus, with Christmas Day a work holiday throughout the United States, there is a space of unfilled free time during which much of American commerce and society is not functioning. The night of December 24 has become an opportunity to transform this otherwise brief period of alienation or loneliness into one made to gather, socialize, network, drink, flirt, and romance. The event has turned Christmas Eve into a matchmaking or dating event for young Jews and "the biggest singles night of the year."
The first Matzo Ball event was held in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1987 and organized by local social figure Andy Rudnick. The event has permeated American Jewish consciousness, even winding up in fiction.
Events
Matzo Ball events are generally held at popular nightclubs in the cities in which the event is located. The event is typically scheduled to begin at 8 or 9 p.m. and run through the last callLast call (bar term)
In a bar, a last call is an announcement made shortly before the bar closes for the night, informing patrons of their last chance to buy alcoholic beverages. There are various means to make this signal, like ringing a bell, flashing the lights, or announcing orally.Last call times are often...
time for the state/locality, with peak attendance and crowds at approximately midnight.
It has expanded to the following cities:
- New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
- Washington, DC
- Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Delray Beach (a change from the usual Palm Beach County locations, which have been either Boca Raton or West Palm Beach previously)
- Atlanta
- Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
- MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
- TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(planned for 2009, but apparently withdrawn) - BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, the original site of the event
The Matzo Ball has ceded Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to the much more long-standing Schmooz-a-Palooza hosted by Stu & Lew Productions (which was acquired by JDate
JDate
JDate is an online dating service aimed at Jewish singles. The service is one of a number of demographically focused online match-making websites operated by Spark Networks plc.JDate offers two tiers of service: free and premium...
in 2006).
The event is organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals, an organization created by the founder of the event, Andy Rudnick. The organizers believe that more than 1,000 marriages have resulted from meetings at various Matzo Balls, and Rudnick himself met his wife at a Matzo Ball.
Competitors
There are also a number of competitors to the Matzo Ball and other events organized in cities where no Matzo Ball is held.The Ball
The largest and most geographically widespread competitor is known simply as "The Ball". In New York, The Ball focuses on having separate venues, currently five, targeted by age demographic, and with attendees receiving limousine service between venues.In 2008, the organizer of The Ball, LetMyPeopleGo, attempted to expand the event into 24 other cities with significant Jewish populations. In almost all of those cities, with local marketing and co-hosting of the event performed by JDate, it was cancelled near the event date.
The Matzo Ball is an annual Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
nightlife event and party held in a number of major cities in the United States and Canada targeted primarily at young Jewish singles and organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals.Jessica Gresko, Dec. 24 Becomes Party Night for Jewish Singles, Associated Press (Washington Post), December 24, 2006Mike Cohen, Famous Matzo Ball parties to land here, Jewish Tribune (Canada), November 10, 2009
The name of the event is frequently spelled MatzoBallJoe Berkofsky, Christmas time inspires Jews 'to express own Jewishness' , JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), reprinted in j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California, December 20, 2002Party pics: 12th Annual MatzoBall party, MetroMix.com, 2008 or misspelled as Matzah BallThe Matzah Ball at KISS & FLY - Thursday, Dec 24th 2009, Rhythmism.com - Upcoming Events forum, 2009 or MatzahBall.Roy S. Gutterman, Hitting the Road to Check Out the Scene During Holiday Season, The (Philadelphia) Jewish Exponent, January 8, 2009Society of Jewish Young Professionals, Press Release: Record 10,000 Jewish Singles to Attend Matzo Ball® Parties on December 24, PRWebDirect.com, December 20, 2005
There are a number of competing social events in Jewish communities throughout the country held that same night. In addition, Matzo Ball and similar spellings are also used as the names for a variety of other, unrelated Jewish community events in particular regions.
Background
Historically, Jews in Europe would hide in their homes and villages during the Christmas holiday, for fear of violence from locals.What’s a Jew to do on Christmas Eve?, JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), December 17, 2009 In the United States, Christmas and Christmas Eve typically serve as times of family gathering and prayer for Christians and many others.Jennifer 8. Lee, A Season of More, New York Times, December 24, 2008The atmosphere of religious liberalism and tolerance in the United States has offered American Jews the opportunity to enjoy the holiday period.
At the same time, many American Jews
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
do not engage in the same family-gathering activities on the Christmas holiday that Christians in the United States do.Brenda Lane Richardson, Deciding to Celebrate Christmas, or Not, New York Times, December 16, 1987Daniel J. Wakin, Off on Yom Kippur? It's Probably Time To Work a Holiday, New York Times, December 22, 2003
Thus, with Christmas Day a work holiday throughout the United States, there is a space of unfilled free time during which much of American commerce and society is not functioning. The night of December 24 has become an opportunity to transform this otherwise brief period of alienation or loneliness into one made to gather, socialize, network, drink, flirt, and romance.Jennifer 8. Lee, Things to Do if You Don’t Do Christmas, New York Times, December 23, 2004 The event has turned Christmas Eve into a matchmaking or dating event for young JewsBen Harris and Jacob Berkman, Hitting the Matzo Balls on Christmas Eve, JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency),December 31, 2007This Jewish singles party comes but once a year, Christmas Eve has become the hottest annual date for meeting a potential mate, Philadelphia Inquirer, December 25, 2003, available via http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_multi=PI|&p_product=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_site=philly&s_trackval=PI&s_search_type=keyword&s_dispstring=%22matzoball%22%20AND%20%22christmas%20eve%22%20AND%20date%28all%29&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=%28%22matzoball%22%20AND%20%22christmas%20eve%22%29&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no&s_trackval=GooglePMNewsbank Archives] and "the biggest singles night of the year."Meredith Goldstein, Looking for a marry little holiday?, Boston Globe, December 24, 2008
The first Matzo Ball event was held in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1987 and organized by local social figure Andy Rudnick. The event has permeated American Jewish consciousness, even winding up in fiction.Francesca Segrè, Daughter of the Bride, 2006, pp. 243-244
Events
Matzo Ball events are generally held at popular nightclubs in the cities in which the event is located. The event is typically scheduled to begin at 8 or 9 p.m. and run through the last callLast call (bar term)
In a bar, a last call is an announcement made shortly before the bar closes for the night, informing patrons of their last chance to buy alcoholic beverages. There are various means to make this signal, like ringing a bell, flashing the lights, or announcing orally.Last call times are often...
time for the state/locality, with peak attendance and crowds at approximately midnight.PepGiraffe, Twas the Night Before Christmas, 2007, PepGiraffe, 2007
It has expanded to the following cities:Society of Young Jewish Professionals, Select Your City, MatzoBall.org, 2009
- New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
- Washington, DC
- Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Delray Beach (a change from the usual Palm Beach County locations, which have been either Boca Raton or West Palm Beach previouslyAndrew Abramson, Jewish singles in Palm Beach County will spend Christmas Eve mingling at Matzo Ball, Palm Beach Post, December 23, 2008)
- Atlanta
- Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
- MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
- TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(planned for 2009, but apparently withdrawnJean-Sebastien Marier, Matzo Ball coming to town at last, The (Montreal) Gazette, December 23, 2009) - BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, the original site of the event
The Matzo Ball has ceded Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to the much more long-standing Schmooz-a-Palooza hosted by Stu & Lew Productions (which was acquired by JDate
JDate
JDate is an online dating service aimed at Jewish singles. The service is one of a number of demographically focused online match-making websites operated by Spark Networks plc.JDate offers two tiers of service: free and premium...
in 2006Press Release, Spark Networks Acquires Schmooz-a-Palooza, OnlineDatingScene, December 7, 2006).
The event is organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals, an organization created by the founder of the event, Andy Rudnick. The organizers believe that more than 1,000 marriages have resulted from meetings at various Matzo Balls, and Rudnick himself met his wife at a Matzo Ball.Plans Under Way for holiday 'Matzo Ball' in Boca, Elsewhere, Boca Raton/Delray Beach News, November 4, 2007, p. 6A, available via Google News
Competitors
There are also a number of competitors to the Matzo Ball and other events organized in cities where no Matzo Ball is held.The Ball
The largest and most geographically widespread competitor is known simply as "The Ball". In New York, The Ball focuses on having separate venues, currently five, targeted by age demographic, and with attendees receiving limousine service between venues.Seeking the perfect Matzo Ball, JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), November 30, 1999In 2008, the organizer of The Ball, LetMyPeopleGo, attempted to expand the event into 24 other cities with significant Jewish populations.'challahbackgirl', Move over Latke Ball, The Ball 2008 is in Town, Jews' Next Dor, December 12, 2008, archived at WebCitation.orgPress Release, The Ball 2008 in Ft Lauderdale- The Nation's Biggest Jewish Singles Event (Christmas Eve, December 24), EventBrite.com, 2008, archived at WebCitation.org In almost all of those cities, with local marketing and co-hosting of the event performed by JDate, it was cancelled near the event date.Fritz Hahn, Rhome Anderson and David Malitz, Nightlife Agenda, Washington Post, December 20, 2007 ("Correction to This Article: The Ball, originally listed under Dec. 25, has been cancelled.")
The Matzo Ball is an annual Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve refers to the evening or entire day preceding Christmas Day, a widely celebrated festival commemorating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth that takes place on December 25...
nightlife event and party held in a number of major cities in the United States and Canada targeted primarily at young Jewish singles and organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals.Jessica Gresko, Dec. 24 Becomes Party Night for Jewish Singles, Associated Press (Washington Post), December 24, 2006Mike Cohen, Famous Matzo Ball parties to land here, Jewish Tribune (Canada), November 10, 2009
The name of the event is frequently spelled MatzoBallJoe Berkofsky, Christmas time inspires Jews 'to express own Jewishness' , JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), reprinted in j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California, December 20, 2002Party pics: 12th Annual MatzoBall party, MetroMix.com, 2008 or misspelled as Matzah BallThe Matzah Ball at KISS & FLY - Thursday, Dec 24th 2009, Rhythmism.com - Upcoming Events forum, 2009 or MatzahBall.Roy S. Gutterman, Hitting the Road to Check Out the Scene During Holiday Season, The (Philadelphia) Jewish Exponent, January 8, 2009Society of Jewish Young Professionals, Press Release: Record 10,000 Jewish Singles to Attend Matzo Ball® Parties on December 24, PRWebDirect.com, December 20, 2005
There are a number of competing social events in Jewish communities throughout the country held that same night. In addition, Matzo Ball and similar spellings are also used as the names for a variety of other, unrelated Jewish community events in particular regions.
Background
Historically, Jews in Europe would hide in their homes and villages during the Christmas holiday, for fear of violence from locals.What’s a Jew to do on Christmas Eve?, JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), December 17, 2009 In the United States, Christmas and Christmas Eve typically serve as times of family gathering and prayer for Christians and many others.Jennifer 8. Lee, A Season of More, New York Times, December 24, 2008The atmosphere of religious liberalism and tolerance in the United States has offered American Jews the opportunity to enjoy the holiday period.
At the same time, many American Jews
American Jews
American Jews, also known as Jewish Americans, are American citizens of the Jewish faith or Jewish ethnicity. The Jewish community in the United States is composed predominantly of Ashkenazi Jews who emigrated from Central and Eastern Europe, and their U.S.-born descendants...
do not engage in the same family-gathering activities on the Christmas holiday that Christians in the United States do.Brenda Lane Richardson, Deciding to Celebrate Christmas, or Not, New York Times, December 16, 1987Daniel J. Wakin, Off on Yom Kippur? It's Probably Time To Work a Holiday, New York Times, December 22, 2003
Thus, with Christmas Day a work holiday throughout the United States, there is a space of unfilled free time during which much of American commerce and society is not functioning. The night of December 24 has become an opportunity to transform this otherwise brief period of alienation or loneliness into one made to gather, socialize, network, drink, flirt, and romance.Jennifer 8. Lee, Things to Do if You Don’t Do Christmas, New York Times, December 23, 2004 The event has turned Christmas Eve into a matchmaking or dating event for young JewsBen Harris and Jacob Berkman, Hitting the Matzo Balls on Christmas Eve, JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency),December 31, 2007This Jewish singles party comes but once a year, Christmas Eve has become the hottest annual date for meeting a potential mate, Philadelphia Inquirer, December 25, 2003, available via http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_multi=PI|&p_product=PI&p_theme=realcities&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&s_site=philly&s_trackval=PI&s_search_type=keyword&s_dispstring=%22matzoball%22%20AND%20%22christmas%20eve%22%20AND%20date%28all%29&p_field_advanced-0=&p_text_advanced-0=%28%22matzoball%22%20AND%20%22christmas%20eve%22%29&xcal_numdocs=20&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&xcal_useweights=no&s_trackval=GooglePMNewsbank Archives] and "the biggest singles night of the year."Meredith Goldstein, Looking for a marry little holiday?, Boston Globe, December 24, 2008
The first Matzo Ball event was held in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
in 1987 and organized by local social figure Andy Rudnick. The event has permeated American Jewish consciousness, even winding up in fiction.Francesca Segrè, Daughter of the Bride, 2006, pp. 243-244
Events
Matzo Ball events are generally held at popular nightclubs in the cities in which the event is located. The event is typically scheduled to begin at 8 or 9 p.m. and run through the last callLast call (bar term)
In a bar, a last call is an announcement made shortly before the bar closes for the night, informing patrons of their last chance to buy alcoholic beverages. There are various means to make this signal, like ringing a bell, flashing the lights, or announcing orally.Last call times are often...
time for the state/locality, with peak attendance and crowds at approximately midnight.PepGiraffe, Twas the Night Before Christmas, 2007, PepGiraffe, 2007
It has expanded to the following cities:Society of Young Jewish Professionals, Select Your City, MatzoBall.org, 2009
- New YorkNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
- ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
- Washington, DC
- Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale, and Delray Beach (a change from the usual Palm Beach County locations, which have been either Boca Raton or West Palm Beach previouslyAndrew Abramson, Jewish singles in Palm Beach County will spend Christmas Eve mingling at Matzo Ball, Palm Beach Post, December 23, 2008)
- Atlanta
- Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
- MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
- TorontoTorontoToronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
(planned for 2009, but apparently withdrawnJean-Sebastien Marier, Matzo Ball coming to town at last, The (Montreal) Gazette, December 23, 2009) - BostonBostonBoston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, the original site of the event
The Matzo Ball has ceded Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to the much more long-standing Schmooz-a-Palooza hosted by Stu & Lew Productions (which was acquired by JDate
JDate
JDate is an online dating service aimed at Jewish singles. The service is one of a number of demographically focused online match-making websites operated by Spark Networks plc.JDate offers two tiers of service: free and premium...
in 2006Press Release, Spark Networks Acquires Schmooz-a-Palooza, OnlineDatingScene, December 7, 2006).
The event is organized by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals, an organization created by the founder of the event, Andy Rudnick. The organizers believe that more than 1,000 marriages have resulted from meetings at various Matzo Balls, and Rudnick himself met his wife at a Matzo Ball.Plans Under Way for holiday 'Matzo Ball' in Boca, Elsewhere, Boca Raton/Delray Beach News, November 4, 2007, p. 6A, available via Google News
Competitors
There are also a number of competitors to the Matzo Ball and other events organized in cities where no Matzo Ball is held.The Ball
The largest and most geographically widespread competitor is known simply as "The Ball". In New York, The Ball focuses on having separate venues, currently five, targeted by age demographic, and with attendees receiving limousine service between venues.Seeking the perfect Matzo Ball, JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), November 30, 1999In 2008, the organizer of The Ball, LetMyPeopleGo, attempted to expand the event into 24 other cities with significant Jewish populations.'challahbackgirl', Move over Latke Ball, The Ball 2008 is in Town, Jews' Next Dor, December 12, 2008, archived at WebCitation.orgPress Release, The Ball 2008 in Ft Lauderdale- The Nation's Biggest Jewish Singles Event (Christmas Eve, December 24), EventBrite.com, 2008, archived at WebCitation.org In almost all of those cities, with local marketing and co-hosting of the event performed by JDate, it was cancelled near the event date.Fritz Hahn, Rhome Anderson and David Malitz, Nightlife Agenda, Washington Post, December 20, 2007 ("Correction to This Article: The Ball, originally listed under Dec. 25, has been cancelled.") However, the Los Angeles version of The Ball, which was instead co-sponsored and co-marketed by the young adults divisions of the LA Guardians, the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging foundation, was successful and held again in 2009.Julie Spira, Jewish Singles Gather in LA to Celebrate the Holidays in Style and Support the Elderly, Huffington Post, December 28, 2009Alysia Gray Painter, Mix and Be Merry at The Ball: Jewish singles hobnob in Hollywood on December 24th, NBC Los Angeles, December 23, 2009Young Divisions' Holiday Ball, The Guardian (newsletter), Winter 2009, p. 10
Niche and local events
Other New York City Jewish Christmas Eve events include parties for "the pro-Israel crowd, Jewish gays and lesbians, and downtown Jewish hipsters."The sheer number of events, combined with the compactness of Manhattan, means that events are often held within a short walking distance, if not eyesight of one another.
Likewise, Chicago Jewish Christmas Eve events run the gamut of tastes and preferred crowd. These include gatherings named 'Rockmitzvah', 'Hubukkah', the 'Heebonism' bash (sponsored by Heeb Magazine
Heeb Magazine
Heeb was a Jewish magazine aimed predominantly at young Jews. The name of the magazine is a variation of the ethnic slur "hebe", an abbreviation of Hebrew. However, in this case, the word "heeb" seeks to function as empowerment for the Jewish community, thus eliminating the hatred associated with...
), and the more mainstream 'The Juju Ball' and 'Retro Eve', a long running but now defunct event.Sarah Preston, Matzo Tov!, Chicago Magazine blog, December 11, 2008
Washington DC also has a long standing free event, the Gefilte Fish Gala, usually held on December 24, except if the 24th falls on the Jewish Sabbath of Friday night.
Atlanta, which had previously hosted an annual "Matzah Ball" unrelated to the SYJP event, continues to have competing events for both mainstream audiences, such as the 'Bagel Bash',SCENE: MUSIC / PARTY / CHARITY, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 29, 2005, p. P24, available via NewsBankSCENE: NIGHTWATCH: Bagel Bash to tell hole story at Tavern, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 23, 2004, p. P24, available via NewsBank and niche groups, such as the local NCJW section's recently inaugurated 'Santa Klutz Ball' for older singles.Jonathan Barach, Thought You’d Like to Know, The Jewish Georgian, November-December 2009, p. 9
Denver, which also hosted an unaffiliated Matzah Ball even in the past, is now home to a similar event called Heebonism. The first Denver Heebonism took place in 2007.
Federation YAD/YLD Events
Other major cities have homegrown and well-attended Christmas Eve events that were established long before the Matzo Ball or The Ball entered the local scene. These include Seattle's Latkepalooza,Candace Heckman, What if you're Jewish and bored stiff on Christmas Eve?, Seattle Post-Intelligencer - The Big Blog, December 24, 2007 San Francisco's The Latke Ball,Jay Firestone, One Jew's Christmas Eve, The Jewish Journal (Los Angeles) - Calendar Girls blog, December 28, 2007 Tampa'sTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
Vodka Latke, and Phoenix's
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
Mazelpalooza,Leisah Woldoff, Mazelpalooza rolls out red carpet for YJP, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, November 21, 2008 all of which are sponsored by their respective Jewish Federation
Jewish Federation
A Jewish Federation is a confederation of various Jewish social agencies, volunteer programs, educational bodies, and related organizations, found within most cities in North America that host a viable Jewish community...
's young professional
Young professional
The term young professional generally refers to a young person not in school who is employed in a profession or white-collar occupation. The meaning may be ambiguous and has evolved from its original narrow meaning of a young person in a professional field...
s division.
Schmooz-a-Palooza
Schmooz-a-Palooza is the long-running Los Angeles competitor to the Matzo Ball and was held for the 16th straight year in 2009.JDate's 16th Annual Schmooz-A-Palooza, JDate.com (2009) It is hosted by Stu & Lew Productions, which was acquired by JDateJDate
JDate is an online dating service aimed at Jewish singles. The service is one of a number of demographically focused online match-making websites operated by Spark Networks plc.JDate offers two tiers of service: free and premium...
in 2006. The event has evolved over the years from a social mixer to a party atmosphere, and brings together many southern Californians who have not seen each other since their younger years in Jewish communal settings.Keren Engelberg, Have a Holly Jolly Schmooz-fest, Jewish Journal (Los Angeles), December 18, 2003Danny Baram, Christmas Time for the Jew, DannyBaram.Blogspot.com, December 23, 2008 It is also a noted opportunity for reconnecting and romance.Alie Ward, Your week, on a platter: Dec. 24-30 brings you horny Jews and Hamburger combovers, Metromix.com, December 24, 2007
Christmas Eve singles events
Prior to Rudnick's organizing of the Matzo Ball in Boston in 1987 and expansion into other cities, Jewish organizations in other cities had used similar names for their own Christmas Eve singles events.The Jewish Community Center
Jewish Community Center
A Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
of Dallas had organized its "Matzoh Ball" beginning in either 1981Get Out There!, The Dallas Morning News, December 22, 2008, available via Google News Archives/NewsBank or 1984.Weekly Planner, The Dallas Morning News, December 15, 2001, available via Google News Archives/NewsBank The Dallas event continues under that name currentlyKatey Margolis, Kosher Kisses, Dallas Observer, December 23, 2009 and is unaffiliated with the Matzo Ball event and Rudnick. Atlanta also had its own "Matzah Ball" for many years.Detours: Alterna-thrills, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 9, 2006, p. 28, available via Google News/NewsBank
Bowling Related Events
The Jewish FederationJewish Federation
A Jewish Federation is a confederation of various Jewish social agencies, volunteer programs, educational bodies, and related organizations, found within most cities in North America that host a viable Jewish community...
of Greater Los Angeles
Greater Los Angeles Area
The Greater Los Angeles Area, or the Southland, is a term used for the Combined Statistical Area sprawled over five counties in the southern part of California, namely Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County and Ventura County...
entertainment division organized a late spring "Matzah Bowl" event for a number of years, beginning in 1996.Mike Levy, Calendar, (Los Angeles) Jewish Journal, May 10, 2001 In Atlanta, the promoter of the 'Bagel Bash' organized an early spring bowling function for singles called the "Matzah Bowl"."Fat Asian Baby", Parents Pissed About That Shiksa You, FatAsianBaby.Blogspot.com, March 4, 2005 In 2009, local music promoters Melissa Stonehill-Publicity and Alex Gutman aka Just Us Productions in New York City, organized a Christmas Eve musical event at Brooklyn Bowl, co-sponsored by Israel's New York Consulate General, dubbed "The Matzah Bowl".And To All a Good Night, New York Times, December 23, 2009Brooklyn Bowl's First Annual Matzah Bowl! - Inaugural Tribal Music Festival, Brooklyn Bowl, 2009 The event derived its name in part from its location in a Brooklyn bowling alley. The event then took on the name "Jolly Bowl" and still continues with great success. http://www.greenpointnews.com/entertainment/honey-bowl-at-brooklyn-bowl
Other Events Not Targeted at Single Adults
Smaller Jewish community entities have also used variations on the "Matzo Bowl" name for a variety of events, including for knowledge competitions held by individual synagoguesSteve Dershowitz, From the Prexy's Computer, in Temple Beth Torah Times, June 2008 and fundraising events organized by chapters of Alpha Epsilon PiAlpha Epsilon Pi
Alpha Epsilon Pi , the Global Jewish college fraternity, has 155 active chapters in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom and Israel with a membership of over 9,000 undergraduates...
.KSUViolet06, What's your big thing(s)?, GreekChat.com, August 15, 2004
The Greater Kansas City Council of BBYO and its AZA
Aleph Zadik Aleph
The Grand Order of the Aleph Zadik Aleph is an international youth-led fraternal organization for Jewish teenagers, founded in 1924 and currently existing as the male wing of BBYO Inc., an independent non-profit organization...
Nordaunian
Max Nordau
Max Simon Nordau , born Simon Maximilian Südfeld in Pest, Hungary, was a Zionist leader, physician, author, and social critic....
chapter sponsor a large annual teen dance called the Matzo Ball, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in April 2010.Kansas City Star, March 31, 2004, p. 24, available via NewsBankRick Hellman, Nordaunian AZA alumni plan reunion alongside Matzo Ball, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, April 2, 2010
Criticisms
The Matzo Ball and similar events have been subject to mild criticism that the events are "meet markets" or, more punningly, "[kosher] meat markets."Josh Novikoff, Hooking up This Hanukkah?, DCist.com, December 22, 2008GreenEggsSamDC, Merry Christmas, Chapter2006, December 25, 2006 Women attendees tend to dress inappropriately in a revealing manner while men at the event are liable to use awkward pickup lines and noticeably prowl.Evan Gahr, Nothing Left to the Imagination, Chimpstein, January 1, 2006External links
- Photo gallery from Matzo Ball 2010 in Washington, DC
- Photo gallery from Matzo Ball 2009 in Washington, DC
- Matzo Ball official website
- Seattle Latkepalooza 2009
- Phoenix Mazelpalooza 2009
- San Francisco Latke Ball 2009
- Tampa Vodka Latke 2009
- Stu and Lew Productions presents Schmooz-a-Palooza at the House of Blues, Los Angeles and JDate Events listing for Schmooz-a-Palooza 2009
- Heeb Magazine 'Heebonism' 2009 events in New York, Palm Springs, Chicago, and San Francisco