Above:
Jill Shapiro of Farmington Hills
talks with Howard Levitan of St.
Louis.
Above right:
Stefanie Baron of Chicago and Dan
Strauss of Toronto strike up a
conversation.
Below right:
P'nina Herschfus of Southfield works on an icebreaker puule
- with Yossie Teitlebaum of New York City.
Shabbos And
Shidduch
Weekend get-
togethers give
Orthodox singles a
chance to meet their
beshert.
RUTH LITTMANN STAFF WRITER
DANIEL LIPPM STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
itita Turtletaub was a sin-
gle mother with four teen-
age children.
"On paper, that's not a
marriage-able woman,"
she says.
that
Concluding
newspaper personal ads
weren't the way to go, Mrs.
Turtletaub rallied together six of
her single friends and began Mid-
west Jewish Singles.
The group helps Jewish corn-
munities in the Midwest plan
weekend retreats — called Shah-
batons. Marriage-minded singles,
primarily in their 30s and older,
take part to meet like-minded
members of the opposite sex.
The most recent Shabbaton
was held in early February at the
homes of observant Jews in the
The rest of the weekend was
West Bloomfield community. Six-
devoted to Shabbat observance,
ty men and women attended.
A similar event worked for as well as programs about dat-
Mrs. Turtletaub, who met her ing and relationships. There were
husband through one of the workshops, speakers and Satur-
Shabbatons she planned a few day evening entertainment with
singer David
years ago.
Neumark from
"I was en-
Windsor.
gaged by the
As with all
end of the
Shabbatons, it
weekend. It's
ended on a fun
not something
note — bowling
I'd recommend
— though some
for everyone,
—Anita Turtietaub
weekends con-
but it worked
clude with even
for me," she
wackier activi-
says.
The weekends typically begin ties like whirly ball.
Ms. Turtletaub says Midwest
on Thursdays with excursions to
cultural locations. Last month, Jewish Singles has a track record
the group visited the Detroit In- of matchmaking. During its
eight-year history, it has suc-
stitute of Arts.
"I was engaged by
the end of the
weekend."
cessfully introduced several now-
married singles.
"Just this week, someone sent
me a picture of her baby," she
says. "It gives me a lot of nachas
(gratification)."
Mrs. Turtletaub points out,
however, that success is not mea-
sured simply according to how
many wedding bells ring. The
true gauge is the number of at-
tempts.
"Jewish thought says that
everyone you meet brings you
one step closer to your beshert
(luck or intended). With every
person you meet, you learn more
about who you are and whom
you're supposed to be with," Mrs.
Turtletaub says. "Each one teach-
es you something about your-
self." ❑