WANDERERS

"%ie're tburir. w L a,t. not inat, I
making, but we do have a social side,"
said Roxanne Weisman, the owner of
Premier Jewish Singles in St. Louis. "If
you come on the trip just to meet
someone, you're not going to enjoy
your destination."
The American Jewish Congress also
runs a travel program for singles. Betty
Van Dyke, managing director of the
AJC international travel program,
said, "We're not a singles meat market.
But if someone meets their soul mate
on a trip, then it's a nice bonus. Our
primary purpose is to provide vacation
travel for American Jews to travel
together as a group and learn about
the Jewish history of the destination,"

said Van Dyke.
Through Seligman s trips, she
made friends with people from all
over the country. Although she has
not met the man of her dreams (not
that she's disappointed about this)
she is truly looking to have a good
time traveling with peers. "If I hap-
pen to meet someone on the trip, at
least it will be someone who is
Jewish," Seligman said.
Aside from making new acquain-
tances, group travel provides other
benefits: Someone else does all the
planning. It also allows Jewish travel-
ers to learn about the Jewish history of
a destination and visit Jewish sites that
could otherwise be difficult to identify

'

Melissa
Seligman
inisbes
pac
Alaska.

or even see. For example, traveling, as
part of a religious group allows
American citizens to visit Cuba despite
the U.S. government's travel ban.
Although group tours may appear to
be pricey (typically ranging from
$1,000 to $4,000 depending on the
destination and trip length), they can
be a good buy given the all-inclusive
nature of the trips. Costs often include
meals, hotel accommodations, trans-
portation, tips and admission fees.
To-Lir operations usually negotiate
group rates unavailable to individuals.
Solo travelers in a group have the
option of being matched with a
roommate at a rate lower than travel-
ing alone.:

While group travel may not be for
everyone, there are other opportuni-
ties that allow young travelers to
spend their vacation at destinations
where they can mingle with people
their own age.
Travel agent Maxine Weinberg
rarely gets calls from young singles .
looking to travel with a singles group.
Her calls come from young adults
traveling in pairs and looking for des-
tinations that cater to young singles.
Weinberg, who owns Travel Max in
Farmington Hills, books these clients
on cruises that cater to a younger
crowd or she sends them to an all-
inclusive resort like Club Med or
Sandals. ❑

Travel Groups

The Internet provides a wealth of travel oppor-
tunities for young Jewish singles. A sampling:
• Amazing Journeys amazingjourneys.net Travel
destinations include an Alaskan cruise, a
Caribbean cruise, Australia and a Hawaiian cruise.
• American Jewish Congress
ajcongresstravel.com Upcoming destinations:
China, Eastern Europe, Turkey, Italy, Spain,
Emerald Isle, the Orient, Paris, Cuba, New
Zealand, Russia and Peru and Bolivia.
• JQS Inc. jqs.com/main.html Upcoming
trips: France, Italy, Turkey, Alaska, Eastern

Europe, the South Pacific and South America.
Jewish Singles Vacations
thinkjewish.cornijsy/ Destinations: Hyannis,
Martha's Vineyard, Nantucket and Newport,
R.I., and a trip to Barcelona, Provence and the
French Riviera.
• Premier Jewish Singles premr jewish sin-
gles.com/ Italy, Turkey, Alaska, Eastern
Europe, the South Pacific and South America.
• Steppin' Out steppinoutadventures.com
Upcoming trips: a Tuscany bike and wine tast-
ing trip and a trip to Cuba.

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\

Featuring

nin

with

Liv e

Lunch: Tuesday thru Saturday 1 lam-2pm

Dinner: Tuesday thru Thursday 5prn-10prn • Friday thru Saturday 5pm-11prn
Sunday 4pm-9pm

Liv-e Entertainment and Dancin g'

Until 2 am In Our Lower Level

1403 S. Commerce Road in Walled Lake • Just North of Pontiac Trail

632400

7/12
2002

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