66 | MAY 26 • 2022 

DINING

C

arol Eisenshtadt and her 
friends from the West 
Bloomfield JCC (now 
known as “The J”) were elated 
to be able to sit down, relax 
and spend time together. Most 
hadn’t seen each other since 
early in the pandemic, but they 
were recently able to meet for 
bagels and coffee at The Porch, 
a new kosher grab-and-go 
spot located just inside The J’s 
entrance. 
 Eisenshtadt’s group has met 
at the venue twice so far, and 
she says she’s glad it’s there. 
“It’s a place to meet, to have a 
cup of coffee and talk with your 
friends,
” Eisenshtadt says of the 
space, which reopened this fall 
after an earlier pre-pandemic 
launch in 2019. “They may not 
want to go to a restaurant. They 

can go to this beautiful lounge, 
have a cup of tea, sit down and 
chat.
” 
Eisenshtadt, who has been 
a member of The J since its 
opening in West Bloomfield 
in 1975 and spent time on its 
board as well, says this is the 
first time The J has had a lounge 
for the public, where people 
could stop by for informal 
meetings and to connect. 
The Porch attracts everyone 
from friends catching up over a 
cup of coffee to Frankel Jewish 
Academy students, whose 
school is on The J’s campus. 
 “In the last year and a half, 
they’ve repurposed this space, 
and it’s warm and welcoming,
” 
says Eisenshtadt, noting that 
The Porch also has sandwiches, 
pizza and snacks on offer. “It’s 

not just a room; it’s truly lovely.
” 
Architect Arik Green, 
owner of Arik Green Design, 
remembers when The J’s CEO 
Brian D. Siegel came to him 
to talk about reimagining 
the space. They talked about 
moving the reception desk and 
about creating a connected 
feeling between the lobby and 
The Porch, so users knew it 
was a flexible space, open and 
available for work, study or 
relaxation. 
“It’s a hub. It’s different 
settings,
” Green explains. With 
various seating options, Jewish 
books and vintage J pictures on 
display, the space is ready for 
everyone, he says. “It’s open, 
comfortable, approachable 
to users of all ages within the 
building,
” he says. “People are 

very comfortable stepping in 
there to sit and dine or sit and 
chat and work.
” 
The Porch is meant to be a 
resource for the community, 
Siegel says. Whether people 
shmooze over a cup of coffee 
while they wait for their kids, 
meet their friends for a game of 
Mahj or work on their laptop, 
it’s set up to be welcoming to all, 
he explains. 
“My hope is that our 
community will think of it as 
‘theirs’
,
” he says. 
“
As we begin to get more 
comfortable with gathering, I 
see The Porch as a space for us 
to get reacquainted with sitting 
across from someone we care 
about and enjoying a beverage. 
There’s really no virtual 
substitute.
” 

The Porch at the JCC (now known as “The J”) 
is a great place to meet up with friends and chill.

JN STAFF

A Place to Connect

Folks can use The 
Porch as a place to get 
together and schmooze.

LIZZ CALDWELL

ESTHER ALLWEISS INGBER

The Porch at The J has grab-and-go 
kosher food and provides a place for 
people to meet up and connect. 
After 36 years in 

Southfield, Mcvee’
s is 

now open at our new 

location in Troy

