Scenes Around Town 4 Jewish young adults and singles gather for coffee, hayrides and dancing— and spontaneous meetings. ELI NATINSKY Special to the Jewish News The Ultimate Annual HMD Hayride The time flew, and so did the hay — literally — at Hillel's Ultimate Hay Ride, Sunday, Oct. 19, at Maybury State Park. A roaring fire, abundance of ballads and multitude of mingling provided warmth on the chilly autumn eve. Participants (totaling 120) gath- ered under and near an open-air pavilion — which was dark. Save for the afore- mentioned blaze, there was very little light. This provided a special challenge to participants seeking old friends and familiar acquaintances. The event required hiking boots and flannel shirts, but a candle or lantern would have been equally apro- pos. But the darkness didn't stop Bryce Sandler, Ari Berris and Fred Lusky. Marcy Schwartzman caught up with old friends, and Rachel Bordrnan was "impressed with the turn-out." New Jersey native and National Federation of Temple Youth adviser Jason Rivchin, along with friend Tanya Shaye, noted the pleasures and perks of Midwestern living — such as hayrides. Jessica Tam took a break from her studies at the University of Michigan to fling hay, and Asya Shein shared news and notes with the group. As they say in the land of the cheer- ful timothy tenders: "A good time was had by all." Yeeeee-haw. Break-the-Fast Dance Two-hundred and fifty danced, danced, danced the night away at the JPS "Break-the-Fast Dance," Saturday, Oct. 11, at Beth Abraham Hillel Moses. Streamers cascaded from the ceiling, and balloons filled the air — red, black and white were the colors of choice. The food — mixed fruit, cheese, 10/31 1997 76 . crackers and baked goods — was extraordinarily fresh, and the drink was most tasty. A D.J. played lively tunes, including "the Macarena." The syna- gogue was truly, alive with the sound of music. (Although there was very lit- tle yodeling.) The majority of those who put in an appearance were between the ages of 35 and 50. Jeff Wolfe and Stephanie Mellen Left: Jason W1 er, Rachel Ruben aer, Ian Burnstein: Pleased with the turnout. fun, and more coffee and more fun. Perhaps that would be the best descrip- tion of Hillel of Metro Detroit's (HMD) Oct. 6 coffee house night at Lonestar Coffee Co. in Birmingham. Forty attended the shindig, the second of four HMD "latte of choice" outings for the fall sea- son. Ages ranged from early to late 20s; most in attendance either held the title of grad student or young pro- Above: Looks like a crowd Magic Stick. Oct. 17. Young Friends of Woodward Right: Lisa Feldman and Cecilia Persson, smiling away the night. spent part of the evening caught up in conversation. Wolfe says he greatly enjoys such singles events, as "they're good for bringing Jewish people together." , Coffee House Night Coffee. And fun. Lots of coffee and fessional. HMD regular Ian Flasher goes to lots of HMD events. The Michigan State University grad says Sharon Wise, Hillel program director, prods him to take photographs of various get-togethers. Wise described what she deemed a plethora of "untapped potential" among young Jewish Detroiters — specifically, folks who desire to expand their net- work of friends and acquaintances through fun and meaningfulactivi- ties, but have not explored such opportunities through Hillel. These are the very people who are urged to attend an HMD function — or five, she urges. HMD regulars Rebecca Morgan, - Rebecca Levenson and David Persky Above: Mugging also attended. for the camera: Confirming Wise's Darcy Licht sentiments, Persky Eisenberg, Lisa says at most HMD Menuck, Andrea events, "Everybody Rautbort and seems to enjoy Jocelyn Fink. themselves." Coffee Soiree Coffee was again the beverage of choice as the Jewish Professional Singles UPS) settled in for an evening of conversation, company and laugh- ter on Wednesday, Oct. 8, at Muddee Waters in Berkley. JPS hosts weekly espresso-oriented gatherings; 20 people attended this one. Cindy Leven, JPS co-founder, says one of the group's goals is to unify Detroit's community of sin- gles. Active member Jack Lewis adds, "Everybody's welcome." Along with organizers David Solomons, Dorian Gluckman, Susan Dines and treasurer/planner Harry Pevos, JPS regular Michele Gamburd was there, commenting on the group's family-like atmosphere. ❑ d 4.