In a Jewish community such as ours, it is extremely important to bring together our single young adults to mix and mingle in order to create possible matches. For about 30 years, the Sephardic Community Center of Brooklyn, NY has been assisting in doing just that in a fun and adventurous way. 

Every year on Thanksgiving weekend, the Center puts together a trip for singles in the young professionals age group within the community in the hopes that young people will meet, hit it off, and eventually marry. This trip started out as a simple ski trip each year to different snowy areas such as Vermont or cities in Canada, but eventually evolved into a trip with a whole new identity.

The city of Prague in the Czech Republic, one of the many beautiful locations the SCC singles trip has ventured to.

The community singles who choose to embark on this adventure are in for a traveling delight. With locations like Prague, Scotland, Spain, London, and more, the destination alone is enough to attract the crowd of young community members. The numbers of attendees varies from year to year, but generally 100 to 200 singles from ages 21 and up can join in on the weekend getaway.

Singles can choose to book their own flight, or may book it with the Center and have airfare rolled into the price of the entire trip as well. The fee also covers Kosher catered food which can be difficult to come by in certain foreign locations, hotel rooms, and a full itinerary of entertainment by day and night. The tours let you explore the cities and the night life really brings the singles together to mingle.

The city of Edinburgh in Scotland was visited by the singles trip as well.

On top of that, the group of attendees spend the entirety of Shabbat together. The trip maintains a Minyan for prayers throughout Shabbat and provides mazza, dinner, and lunch to the singles who attend the trip as well. Saturday morning, the group always attends a local Shul in order to immerse themselves into the specific culture of the area they are visiting. Not only that, but the singles have the opportunity to spend Shabbat relaxing and getting to know people on a whole other level.

One of the biggest things that makes this trip so successful in bringing people who attend closer together is the atmosphere of being in a strange city. So many people who have taken this trip have gotten close to people who they had known all of their lives, but never really got the chance to get to really connect or even have a conversation. 

Barcelona, Spain, also an amazing location visited by the SCC singles trip in recent years.

The Center has seen many people meet and get married as a result of this trip. Not only that, but people have also attended this trip in order to create new friendships as well. Whatever the reason, it’s always a great trip to go on and be together with like minded community individuals.

Janet S was a 21 year old community member that really wanted to go on a trip. She asked her parents if she could go away with her friend and coworker Gloria and was immediately turned down and told to pay for the trip on her own. Understandably, her parents didn’t like the idea of two young girls traveling alone. 

Then Janet had the idea of joining the Center’s Thanksgiving singles trip and not only did she get her parents blessing, they agreed to pay for the trip! She traveled with the Center to Barcelona in 2013, not planning to meet a match and just eager to take a trip. 

Friday night came and since no one was going out, most people were hanging out by the rooftop lounge of the hotel. It was there where she met her current husband, Joe H. They were introduced through a friend and have been inseparable ever since. 

“Getting the opportunity to meet someone in a stress free environment is so rare and was so incredible for me,” said Janet of her experience meeting her match.

The city of London, also visited by the Center's singles trip in the past.

Shirley (then) Braha was encouraged to go on the Center weekend trip by her grandmother as well. She agreed to go on the trip even though she had her doubts about meeting someone and thought at least she’d get to see a new city. 

On the flight to Prague in 2015, Shirley spotted someone who sparked her interest. She knew his friends, but never met him before. She was later introduced to her current husband, Jack Adjmi, in the airport upon landing. Shirley was surprised it had happened so quick, especially because she truly wasn’t expecting to meet someone. She then enjoyed all that the trip had to offer by going on the tours and enjoying the hotel.

“Besides for meeting my husband, the best part of the trip was visiting the Holocaust museum and cemetery. It was very interesting to me because I had never seen something like that before,” said Shirley. 

Jack and Shirley continued to see each other in the coming months and got married the following summer.

The Center has also announced that for the first time they are putting together a singles trip for March of 2018. The location for the trip is still under wraps and will be announced at a later date. 

For more information about the Center and their singles trip, head to their website, call 718-627-4300, or follow the center on Instagram @thecenterscc.

Frieda Schweky

Frieda@sephardic.org

Frieda Schweky is Sephardic.Org's official community events reporter. For inquiries and to get involved with our site, please contact Frieda via email.