Around
ticipated in some singles
events sponsored by the
Jewish Community
Center. He has not
attended the Shabba't
singles services.
The original advertise-
ment for the Shabbat
services put on by area
Reform and Conservative
congregations focused on
singles in their 20s and
30s.
"I wouldn't go. It's a
slight. What does 'young
singles' mean?" Mr.
Oram said. "I feel young.
I just ran 26 miles a few
months ago."
Although the monthly
singles service originally
`° w as aimed at young
adults, older singles —
35 years old and up —
, comprise a large number
of participants.
Rabbi William Gershon
of Congregation Shaarey
Zedek doesn't view that
as a problem.
"This is the most sig-
nificant response the
community has made to
singles to date," Rabbi
Gershon said. "But we're
just learning. Clearly,
there is a greater need
among singles in their
later 30s and 40s than
we thought. We've
changed the wording of
our advertisements."
The singles Shabbat
service program is a joint
effort between the
Conservative and Reform
movement. Once a
month, a temple or syna-
gogue hosts a Shabbat
service separate from the
entire congregation,
secures a speaker and
puts on an Oneg
Shabbat. More than 300
people have attended the
first two services.
"By putting on good
programs like this, we're
sending singles —
divorced, widowed or
otherwise — a message
that they are important
to the community," Rabbi
Gershon said.
Carol Dunitz makes
dates through the
personal ads.
Jerry Oram: Not
looking for
marriage.
Carol Dunitz hasn't
waited for the communi-
ty to respond to her
needs as a divorced
mother of three — she's
taken charge.
Following a 13-year-
marriage, Ms. Dunitz
found her life void of sin-
gle Jews between the
ages of 25 and 50.
She looked into singles'
activities, but was
not satisfied with the
abundance of non-Jews
she encountered. Jew-
ish Federation's Young
Adult Division didn't
include her age group,
appealing to individuals
21 to 35 years old.
Ms. Dunitz approached
the American Jewish
Committee, offering to
donate time to develop
programming for singles
if the AJCommittee was
willing to provide the
funding. That's how the
Odyssey Series was con-
ceived — intellectually
stimulating lectures for
singles followed by a
wine and cheese after-
glow.
"The name reminded
me of Homer's Odyssey.
We all travel a journey
throughout life. Hope-
fully, that single journey
is not lifelong," Ms.
Dunitz said.
Although the Odyssey
Series aims to appeal to
singles 30 and older,
anyone is welcome.
Between planning the
events, Ms. Dunitz
spends time writing,
composing music and
making dates through
the personal ads in The
Jewish News. Since
February she has talked
with about 200 men and
met with 25 percent of
them. She does not
answer ads, preferring to
run her own and let men
approach her.
She chose The Jewish
News for two reasons: a
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