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Motti Friedman is a self-proclaimed champion
of Jewish singles

HEIDI PRESS

News Editor

An

ordechai (Motti) Friedman is a man
with a gargantuan mission. Fried-
man is trying to organize Jewish
singles on a world-wide scale. And
he's doing it on his own without any
financial support from anyone.
Friedman, 42 and a bachelor, is the full-time
director of Tandu ("lbgether"), an organization he
founded in the hope of bringing Jewish singles
together so that they will marry in the faith. And
right now, according to Friedman, the picture is
pretty bleak.
"If we won't undertake a grand mission, the
time will come, there won't be who to marry
because of intermarriage!"
How does he plan to prevent such a
catastrophe? The Jerusalem-born Friedman is
visiting Jewish communities in the U.S. and
abroad to deliver his message. He's already been
to Paris, London, Zurich, Frankfort, Israel,
Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles,
New York City, Milwaukee, Boston and
Philadelphia. Detroit currently isn't on his
schedule, but he admits, if he's invited, he'll come.
When he visits these cities, Friedman said he
visits the "machers" — the movers and shakers
— of the Jewish communities to try to encourage
them to take an active role in bringing Jewish
singles together.
"I would like to encourage communities to be
shadchans (matchmakers) on a high quality basis
. . . If the community doesn't take the responsibili-
ty for bringing singles together, the community
will suffer."
The former executive director of the Israeli
Forum, a think tank to bring together Israeli and
Diaspora organizations to work on issues such as
education, economic ties between Israel and the
Jewish world and absorption of olim, the Colum-
bia University-educated Friedman left his posi-
tion because, he said, he saw a world-wide need
for communities to be aware of the Jewish singles
phenomenon.
"I lived all over the world. The singles situa-
tion is the same all over the world . . . I under-

stand and feel the problem. I saw the need to bring
Jewish singles together. The need is so great. The
possibilities are there."
lb accomplish his task, Friedman has organiz-
ed three singles tours to Poland and Hungary this
summer. Why Poland and Hungary? "It won't be
just another Club Med," Friedman remarks. "It
will be an intellectual and fun experience!'
What makes Friedman's trip so special? "It's
the most unique one today," he replies. And
because of that, he thinks it will be real attrac-
tive to singles. "Many singles won't go to an
organized tour, and they won't go alone to Poland
and Hungary. I'm giving them an opportunity to
go with singles (on a trip) that they otherwise
wouldn't go alone (on)."
The tours will include walking seminars, with
scholars-in-residence and a tour guide and parties.
He expects Israelis, Europeans and Americans to
enroll for the tours, scheduled for July 6-24, Aug.
10-28 and Aug. 31-Sept. 17.
But the tours are only the beginning of a long-
range plan. He hopes to set up shadchan bureaus,
publish a world singles magazine and establish
a computer network of Jewish singles events and
news. "I'd like to move the Jewish world one inch
forward," he says, hoping that Jewish com-
munities will undertake his plan.
Friedman began Tandu in December 1986,
and gears it toward Jewish singles age 25-45. He
is self-supporting, but some day hopes to get fun-
ding from Jewish communities. "Rather they
should adopt the concept," Friedman asserts. "We
don't need to be a rich organization."
He adds that he doesn't want to take any
money from anyone now anyway. "I won't take any
penny from anyone when I can't give back."
Friedman is no stranger to organizing groups.
He has worked for the Institute of Students and
Faculty of Israel, American Zionist Youth Federa-
tion, Portsmouth (N.H.) Jewish Community
Center, Central African Zionist Organization and
served in the Israel Defense Forces. He holds a
doctorate and master's degree from Columbia
University, a master's degree from Brandeis
University and a bachelor's degree from Tel Aviv
University.
Friedman has high hopes for his organization.

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