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THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 5, 1986 Page 11 Jewish leaders target disaffected singles I he Jewish communitv, in creasingly aware of the needs of unmarried Jews, is struggling to find ways both to meet those needs and to draw Jewish singles into Jewish communal and reli gious life. This conclusion emerged from an all-day conference on “Jewish and Single: Communal and Per sonal Perspectives” sponsored by the American Jewish Commit tee’s William Petschek National Jewish Family Center. Speakers and participants included single men and women who gave per sonal views of the issues at hand; researchers who have studied the “singles” phenomenon; organiz ers of a variety of “singles” groups and functions—some sponsored by commercial and private enterprises, some spon sored by synagogues, Jew'ish fed erations, and other Jewish com munal bodies- and social-service workers and other Jewish-organi/a- tion professionals concerned about the future of the commun ity as well as the problems and aims of singles. Rita Greenland, chairwoman of the advisory board of the Pet schek Center, chaired the confer ence. The aim of the conference, said Ste\en Bayme, assistant director of AJC’s Jewish Com munal Affairs Department, was “to promote dialogue between singles and Jew ish communal ser vice providers, with a particular locus on establishing programs involving singles in organized Jewish life.” Basic to the difficulties faced by the community and by the singles, the participants agreed, is the tension between long-held premises and facts ol Jewish life and some ot the newer facts and premises of single life. “Judaism has always been a home-centered, family-centered religion,” Bayme pointed out, “and beyond that, Jewish mar riages and Jewish children are essential to a Jewish future.” Moreover, as several partici pants noted, the organized Jew ish community has until recently planned most of its programming with families in mind, simply because families were the norm, both statistically and in terms of Jewish values. But in recent vears the number of single people -never-married, divorced, and widowed—has in creased; singlehood is no longer considered an aberrant state, and, for demographic and other reasons, many currently single people will remain so. “All these facts have many meanings for the Jewish com munity.” said Gladys Rosen, pro gram associate in AJC’s Jewish C ommunal Aflairs Department and organizer of the conference. “On the one hand, we certainly want as many Jewish single peo ple as possible to marry and have families, both for their own happiness and for the future of the Jewish community. Similarlv, we know unmarried Jews are less likely to be community-affiliated than married ones, and we want them to be part of the commun ity, both for their own enrich ment and for the community's strength.” On the other hand, continued Rosen, “we also have to be con cerned with the present well-being of singles and we have to be sen sitive to them, not as ‘future mar ried people.' but in terms of w ho they are today.” One of the key points brought out during the conference was the great variety among single people. Said keynote speaker Peter J. Stein, professor of soci t ...we certainly want as many Jewish single people as possible to marry and have fami lies...we also have to be concerned with the present well-being of singles and we have to be sensitive to them.} —Gladys Rosen ology at William Paterson Col lege; “Until quite recently it was assumed that all single persons wanted to marry, they were all waiting for the ‘right’ person to come along, they were relatively unhappy, and they were all very much alike. But recent research indicates that in fact there is great diversity among single adults.” Because of this diversity, the conferees agreed, it is essential that organizations planning pro grams for single people target the programs to the specific needs of specific groups, and not just to “singles.” Anot her consequence of diver sity. it was noted, is that the small, individual organization— most particularly, the individual synagogue often lacks the re sources to program for the wide variety of single people who might be its constituents. To solve this problem, the conference strongly recommended that syn agogues. Ys. community centers, and federations within a general geographic region try to pool resources and work with each other in planning their groups and programs. And, suggested Stein, to meet still another need -the financial one synagogues should consider offering lower membership rates to single parents, w ho. he pointed out. are usually female and often short of funds. Also discussed by the group was whether the Jewish commu nity should set up programs spe cifically for single people rather than trying to integrate singles into general programs, and whether the aim of the Jewish-communitv programs should be to help Jew ish singles get married, or to help them enjoy single life. Most of those who spoke on the first question agreed with the BLUE RIDGE CAMP and RESORT For Boys & Girls 6-16 OUR MOUNTAIN OF FUN Where Spring Comes & Spends the Summer MOUNTAIN CITY. GEORGIA • All Water Sports in Our Own Twin Spring Fed Lakes • White Water Rafting • Water skiing • Rappelling • Aerobics • Tennis • Arts & Crafts • Sailing • Gymnastics and Dance • Go Carts • Rollerskating • Computers • Rock Climbing • Basketball • Soccer • Softball • Hockey • Zoological & Science Program • All Dietary Laws Observed • Shabbat Services Medical Staff Available at All Times Member American Camping Association Your Camp Directors COACH J. I. MONTGOMERY. C.C.D. MORRIS & SHEILA WALDMAN Miami Beach Phone 305-538-3434 or Write PO Box 2888, Miami Beach, Fla. 33140 STAFF INQUIRIES NOW 9 BE A PINCH HITTER! VOLUNTEER AT A HOSPITAL ON CHRISTMAS DAY. IT'S FUN. IT'S MEMORABLE. IT'S FULFILLING. Volunteers from the Atlanta Jewish Community are asked to "Pinch-Hit” on Christmas Day at Atlanta hospitals in the place of the regular hospital non-medical staff. You will Pe giving the hospital workers the chance to spend Christmas Day with their families. To volunteer contact Stu Aaron Day : 449-0323 Evening: 394-4126 Sponsored By Gate City Lodge, B'NAl B'RITH With the assistance of N'hal lodge at Scottish Rite Hospital audience member w ho said: “Ide ally, we would like them to be part of the overall community, and that’s what we hope ulti mately to see. But because many singles think of the Jewish com munity as being couple-oriented, we are better able to begin draw ing them to us by reaching out to them with programs specifically for single people.” As to the question of whether Jewish communal efforts should be geared primarily to match making, some participants ac knowledged that their main aim was to bring together young men and women who. it was hoped, would marry and raise Jewish families. Most, however, agreed with the participant w ho said: “Yes. it w ould he nice if many marriages resulted from our programs, and we certainly hope for that. But lor various reasons. man\ ol these people will not marry, and many ol those who do marry will not have children often because they have already had their families. And we are just as concerned about those people as about those w ho will form future Jewish fam ilies. 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