Matzo Ball

The Matzo Ball is an annual Christmas Eve nightlife event and party held in a number of major cities in the United States targeted primarily at young Jewish singles and organized by Mazel Events, LLC (previously the Society of Young Jewish Professionals).Jessica Gresko, ''Dec. 24 Becomes Party Night for Jewish Singles'', Associated Press (Washington Post), December 24, 2006
/ref>

The name of the event is frequently styled as MatzoBallJoe Berkofsky, ''Christmas time inspires Jews 'to express own Jewishness' '', JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), reprinted in j. the Jewish news weekly of Northern California, December 20, 2002
/ref>''Party pics: 12th Annual MatzoBall party'', MetroMix.com, 2008
/ref> (with capitalization as Matzoball or matzoball) or misspelled as Matzah Ball''The Matzah Ball at KISS & FLY - Thursday, Dec 24th 2009'', Rhythmism.com – Upcoming Events forum, 2009
or MatzahBall.Roy S. Gutterman, ''Hitting the Road to Check Out the Scene During Holiday Season'', The (Philadelphia) Jewish Exponent, January 8, 2009
/ref>

There are a number of competing social events in Jewish communities throughout the U.S. and Canada held that same night. In addition, Matzo Ball and similar spellings are also used as the names for a variety of other, unrelated Jewish community events in particular regions.

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the organizing of the Matzo Ball and other Christmas Eve Jewish events has been consistently in flux. In 2020, the Matzo Ball transitioned late to an all-virtual, worldwide online speed dating format, while local Jewish community groups throughout the United States and Canada on the whole did not organize Christmas Eve events for 2020 (although some limited online substitutes were offered), nor did Tribester.com, which had purchased Matzo Ball competitor 'The Ball'. In 2021, the Matzo Ball proceeded with in-person events in seven U.S. cities under the local government pandemic restrictions in place, in addition to a simultaneous online speed dating alternative that night. Tribester.com postponed its event, while some, although not all, local Jewish community organizations nationwide reemerged with events on December 24 (or December 23 to avoid overlap with the Jewish sabbath beginning on the night of December 24).

In 2022, the Matzo Ball was scheduled to be held in six cities, with video speed dating no longer offered. Improved pandemic conditions led to many communities returning to pre-pandemic event organizing, while others scheduled their events earlier in the month to correspond with the Hanukkah holiday beginning earlier in the week, and some traditional events did not return from pandemic hiatuses. Tribester again did not host a 'Tribal Ball' event.

Background

Historical

Historically, Jews in Europe would hide in their homes and villages during the Christmas holiday, for fear of violence from locals.''What's a Jew to do on Christmas Eve?'', JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), December 17, 2009
/ref> In the United States, Christmas and Christmas Eve typically serve as times of family gathering and prayer for Christians and many others.
/ref>

The atmosphere of religious liberalism and tolerance in the United States has offered American Jews the opportunity to enjoy the holiday period.Marc Tracy, ''Christmas is the Greatest Jewish Holiday'', The New Republic, December 19, 2013
/ref>

At the same time, many American Jews do not engage in the same family-gathering activities on the Christmas holiday that Christians in the United States do.Brenda Lane Richardson, ''Deciding to Celebrate Christmas, or Not'', New York Times, December 16, 1987
/ref>
/ref>

Social

With Christmas Day a work holiday throughout the United States, there is a space of unfilled free time during which much of American commerce and society is not functioning, and which could lead to a sense of alienation or loneliness for American Jews.''Hundreds of Jewish singles in Palm Beach County will spend Christmas Eve mingling'', China Daily, December 24, 2008
/ref>Arlene Vigoda, ''Cry No More'', USA Today, December 13, 1993Emma Hinchliffe, ''Jews can party Christmas Eve at Matzoball gathering'', Houston Chronicle, December 22, 2015
/ref>
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Typical contemporary activities were usually limited to "Chinese and a movie"Marziah Karch, ''Happy Chinese and a Movie'', Wired, December 24, 2014
/ref>Julie Wiener, ''The joy of not celebrating Christmas'', JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), December 24, 2013
/ref>Simon Vozick-Levinson, ''Chinese food and movies: A Christmas tradition'', Entertainment Weekly, December 25, 2009
/ref>—consuming a meal at a Chinese restaurant, which tend to be open for business on the Christmas holiday, and watching a movie at the theater or at home, stereotypically a rerun of ''It's a Wonderful Life''.Marshall Heyman, '' 'Tis the Season For Matzo Balls'', Wall Street Journal, December 27, 2010
/ref>Jodi Duckett, ''Jewish Singles Mingle Christmas Eve'', Allentown Morning Call, December 18, 1995
/ref>Robert Gluck, ''What young Jews do on Christmas Eve'', Los Angeles Jewish Journal, December 20, 2011
/ref>

With the rise of the Matzo Ball and similar local events, the night of December 24 has become an opportunity to transform this otherwise brief period of solitude into one made to gather, socialize, catch up with old friends, network, drink, flirt, and romance.Jennifer 8. Lee, ''Things to Do if You Don't Do Christmas'', New York Times, December 23, 2004
/ref> The event has turned Christmas Eve into a matchmaking or dating event for young JewsBen Harris and Jacob Berkman, ''Hitting the Matzo Balls on Christmas Eve'', JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency),December 31, 2007
''This Jewish singles party comes but once a year, Christmas Eve has become the hottest annual date for meeting a potential mate'', Philadelphia Inquirer, December 25, 2003, available vi
Newsbank Archives
/ref> and "the biggest singles night of the year."Meredith Goldstein, ''Looking for a marry little holiday?'', Boston Globe, December 24, 2008
/ref> The event is an opportunity to meet "'a lot of like-minded people dressed up to have a good time, network, find their mate'."

Whether "by their own volition or by the insistent nudging of their parents and grandparents," many young American Jews now attend these Christmas Eve singles events. They have become an annual rite of passage for single Jews in their 20s and 30s. For these people, the Matzo Ball also functions as an annual reunion of sorts, offering a chance to see fellow attendees each year.

While some party-goers admit that they attend with an eye toward flirting, romance, or at least finding a short-term makeout or sexual partner, others maintain that they go only to spend time with friends, dance, drink cocktails, and because of a lack of other options on Christmas Eve.Joel Stein, ''The MatzoBall Is the Season's Hottest Not-Christmas Party'', Bloomberg Businessweek, December 17, 2015
/ref> (Drinking at the Matzo Ball, though promoted by much advertisement for the event, is officially not endorsed by the event organizers.)

Christmas Eve events such as the Matzo Ball also tend to draw some young American Jews "out of the woodwork" for drinking and socializing who are: (1) otherwise difficult to draw into involvement with the Jewish organizations,Jack Werthheimer, ''The New Jewish Leaders: Reshaping the American Jewish Landscape'', University Press of New England, 2011, p. 7
/ref> and (2) are perceived as more dateable or hip than people who attend typical Jewish events.

Event

The first Matzo Ball event was held in Boston in 1987 and organized by local social figure Andrew Rudnick.

As a Boston University senior in political science and part-time bartender in 1986, Rudnick attended a Jewish young professionals Christmas Eve gathering at a local hotel, where he found a staid atmosphere similar to a high school prom, with women on one side of the room, and men on the other. The environment, including the strong lighting, waits to purchase drink tickets and to receive a drink, bad music, and stale latkes were not conductive to meeting people and having fun.James Kirchick, ''Matzoball Memories: My uncle, godfather of the Jewish singles business, created a Christmas Eve tradition'', Tablet Magazine, December 22, 2014
/ref>

Following that incident, Rudnick began developing the idea for hosting an event the next December 24 at the nightclub he then bartended part-time at, Metro. He and his friends built up awareness of the upcoming event through word of mouth, especially through fraternities and sororities with Jewish memberships, posters, and flyers hand-distributed, including at malls. Some coverage of the event by local radio DJs, who invited Rudnick on-air to promote it, and Rudnick's on-air exaggerations about expected ticket sales, helped spread the word and 2,000 people attended the first Matzo Ball. Rudnick soon quit his job in commercial real estate to focus on the organization and event, and expanding to other cities.

The name of the event and the name of the organization were created on-the-spot in 1987. The event name was inspired by Rudnick's Irish-American coworker's question about Jewish cuisine, and the organization's name was thought up by Rudnick and his Italian-American nightclub bosses, Boston entertainment mogul brothers John and Patrick Lyons, who were concerned about offending both Jews and Christians with the stereotypical name Matzo Ball for an event being held on Christmas Eve, and harming the club's reputation.Heather Robinson, ''MatzoBall Founder Launches 'MatzoBowl, New York Jewish Week, April 3, 2013
/ref> Other names for the event considered by Rudnick were 'Tribe Trot' and 'Heeb Hop', both of which were rejected upon the recommendation of Rudnick's mother, who also found the name Matzo Ball to be cute.

After a successful repeat of the event on Christmas Eve 1988, Rudnick expanded to New York and Boca Raton in 1989, and added Chicago, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles in 1990.Jenny Singer, ''The Titan Of Jewish Singles Events Reveals Tips For Finding Your Soulmate'', The Forward, November 30, 2017
/ref>

The event has permeated American Jewish consciousness, even winding up in fiction,Francesca Segrè, ''Daughter of the Bride'', 2006, pp. 243–244
/ref>Shana Liebman, ''Sex, Drugs & Gefilte Fish: The Heeb Storytelling Collection'', Grand Central Publishing, 2009, p. PT32
/ref>Lance Long, ''Boca Chita'', BENU Books, 2012, p. PT8
/ref> and has been cited as a desired destination in online gossip publications,''Kenny Santucci: I Wanna Go To 'Matzo Ball' '', TMZ.com, December 2014
/ref> and its Boston event has seen attendance by two professional football players, Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski.

Events

Logistics

Tickets and crowd

Matzo Ball events are generally held at popular nightclubs in the cities in which the event is located.Carin Davis, ''Life, Love, Lox: Real-World Advice for the Modern Jewish Girl''
Running Press, 2010, p. 149 The average age range of the crowd spans from the 20s through 40s, unless otherwise specified. A ticket purchased at the door can cost $30–40.

Attendance at the New York event can average from 1,100 to 1,700 people, with an entry line forming outside the venue 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. Crowd sizes at smaller venues, like in Boca Raton, can be 800 to 1,000 people, but with a crowd that arrives later, leading to a long line for entry at midnight.

The event typically begins roughly at 9 p.m. and runs through the last call time for the state/locality (although the nominal, official start and end times given for Matzo Ball as of 2018 are 10 p.m. and 2 a.m.), with peak attendance and flirting at approximately midnight.''The Matzo Ball: No, It Isn't Something to Eat'', St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 17, 1993, p. 3G
/ref>
/ref> ttp://www.nyblueprint.com/dating/reflections-matzo-ball Heather Robinson, ''Reflections on the matzo ball'', New York Blueprint, December 26, 2013/ref>Kate Wertheimer, ''If you're single and Jewish, mingle at LA's Christmas Eve Matzoball'', Time Out Los Angeles, December 14, 2014
/ref>

Rudnick has observed that the best use of the night is to speak to many potential romantic or business contacts over the course of the night, and to follow up and stay in touch with them over the following months to see what develops, instead of spending the entire night talking with only one person.

In some cities in the past, ticket prices had included hors d'oeuvres and sometimes a ticket for a free drink, sometimes limited to early arrivals.Melissa Arseniuk, ''Nightlife: Seven Nights'', Vegas Seven, December 23, 2010, p. 65
/ref>Nicole Lyn Pesce, ''Monday in New York'', New York Daily News, December 24, 2007, p. 30 The crowd is often well-dressed.
/ref>

The recommended attire is the same as an attendee might wear to a popular nightclub on a Saturday night, termed "fashion forward", and that is comfortable to dance in.

Associated activities

Some party-goers to Christmas Eve singles events " pregame" with friends at home before arriving at the event.Jessica Yadegaran, ''Christmas Eve party alternative: Latke Ball'', Contra Costa Times, December 10, 2007
/ref>

In some cities, the Matzo Ball has been linked officially or unofficially to other Jewish events on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, such as volunteering at local food banks.

Rudnick and SYJP have also experimented with a variety of other activities, including Christmas Day pool parties at the same hotel as the Miami Matzo Ball, after-work networking events, singles cruises, Valentine's Day and Passover-linked parties, a magazine, a video dating service, and, in 2015, a dating app called MatzoMatch that used LinkedIn profiles instead of Facebook profiles as the underlying content source so as to allow for filtering by education and work.Daniel Schere, ''I Jew! Interfaith marriage is on the rise, but so are alternative ways for Jews to meet Jews'', Baltimore Jewish Times, November 12, 2015
/ref>

Co-sponsorship

The original official organizer for the Matzo Ball events was Rudnick's Society of Young Jewish Professionals, but as of 2018, it is nominally organized under Mazel Events, LLC.

During the 2010s, an occasional event sponsor of the MatzoBall was JDate (even during those periods when JDate organized its own competing Christmas Eve event in Los Angeles, 'Schmooz-a-Palooza'). As of 2018, the Matzo Ball is sponsored by dating app JSwipe,Press Release, ''Jewish and Single? It's All About the MATZOBALL Powered by JSwipe!'', New York Business Journal / PR Newswire, November 26, 2018
/ref>''Matzoball'', November 15, 2018, The Jewish Standard / Times of Israel
/ref> which was acquired by competitor JDate's parent company Spark Networks in October 2015 in the face of intense patent and trademark litigation against the upstart competitor that had more appeal to younger Jews.Brandy Dale, ''JDate Bought JSwipe and Everyone Loves Each Other Now'', The Observer, October 15, 2015
/ref>Rosa Doherty, ''J-Swipe founder may be a matchmaker but he's still looking for love'', The Jewish Chronicle, March 16, 2018
/ref>

Local groups and individuals have also sometimes worked with SYJP, especially when the event is new or newly reintroduced in a given city.

Crowd diversity

The Matzo Ball is open to the public, and couples, older people, and non-Jews looking for a Christmas Eve activity are welcome to attend,Tracy Block, ''Matzo Ballin': A Christmas Eve Bash for the Chosen People'', Miami New Times, December 22, 2011
/ref> "though, obviously, it caters largely to young people who aren't spending Christmas Eve with their families or at church"Mike Vilensky, ''Another Kind of Christmas Eve Tradition: The Matzo Ball Brings 'Young Professionals, Jewish Singles' Together'', Wall Street Journal, December 25, 2013
/ref> and the targeted demographic is "single Jewish men and women looking to meet each other in an environment that's conducive to having a good time."

In some Matzo Ball cities, a number of attendees are from out-of-town, particularly in cities that have large numbers of visitors or where families tend to gather for the winter holidays, such as Boca Raton, which has many New Yorkers in-town during the holiday period.

At various times, the Matzo Ball has experimented with dividing some of its venues by age into different rooms or even separate adjacent venues, even giving unique event names, like "The Big Chill" and "MatzoBall Plus", to the party catering to 30-somethings seeking a less-noisy environment.Marshall Heyman, ''The Matzo Ball Night Out'', Wall Street Journal, December 24, 2011
/ref>
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While many attendees choose to go to the Matzo Ball with a group of friends, there are also many party-goers who prefer to go on their own, which also frees them from possible disastrous consequences of bad wingmanning by a friend.

Atmosphere

Rudnick's formula for the Matzo Ball atmosphere is to find a large venue that can handle the large crowds, and for the lights to get dimmer and the music to get louder gradually over the course of the night.''First Person: The Search for the Better Matzo Ball Leads to a Tour of Manhattan Debauchery'', JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), December 27, 2006
/ref> This allows for easier mingling and conversation earlier in the night before the hip-hop and dance/house music becomes loud enough to encourage dancing.Deborah Schoeneman, ''Have a Ball with Matzo or Monster's'', New York Post, December 20, 2001

Rudnick rejects the aspects previously associated with Jewish social events, including name tags, announcements, and live bands, because they would be a distraction from mingling, and can inhibit conversation.

Rudnick believes that using nightclubs as a venue helps to ensure that the attendees enjoy their night even if they don't make a romantic connection. Events held at more customary locations of the past for Jewish singles events, like synagogues or hotel ballrooms, or with more formal matchmaking features like name tags and formal conversation times, can lead to an undue stress on meeting a long-term partner, while a nightclub with dancing and music is more likely to lead to a good time regardless of romantic outcome. In addition, the event provides access to nightclubs that might otherwise be difficult to gain admission to on a regular night.

Locations

Rudnick and SYJP have experimented with expanding the Matzo Ball to new cities when they believe that have found the infrastructure and potential clientele of young, upscale Jewish people necessary to make the event successful.

As of 2022, the event is being held in the following cities:

*Boston, the original site of the event
*Los Angeles
* New York
* south Florida:
** Boca Raton (a frequent Palm Beach County location for the Matzo Ball before 2009; reintroduced as a location in 2021)
** Miami Beach
*Washington, DC

(Although Rudnick had previously experimented with dividing the Miami Beach, Delray Beach, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles crowds by age into separate rooms, one for 21-35 year old attendees and another for 25-55 year olds, that is no longer the case.)

In past years, the Matzo Ball also held events in the following cities where it no longer does:
*Atlanta,''MatzoBall coming to Buckhead Theatre'', Neighbor Newspapers, December 18, 2014
/ref> which had been a MatzoBall site in the past, for example in 2009, but had been omitted for several years leading up to 2014
* Austin, a site in 2014 and an announced site in 2008
* Charleston, in 2012Haley Thomas, ''Matzo Ball'', Charleston City Paper, December 24, 2012
/ref>''Matzo Ball'', The Post and Courier, December 25, 2012
/ref>
*Charlotte, a site in 2014
*Chicago''What's a Matzo Ball, Anyway?'', Nightclub & Bar, Opportunities Publishing, 1996
/ref>Society of Young Jewish Professionals, ''Events'', 2014
/ref>
* Delray Beach (from 2009 until the pandemic, it had consistently been the only Palm Beach County location, replacing previous Palm Beach County cities Boca Raton and West Palm Beach;Andrew Abramson, ''Jewish singles in Palm Beach County will spend Christmas Eve mingling at Matzo Ball'', Palm Beach Post, December 23, 2008
/ref> in 2021, when Boca Raton was again made a Matzo Ball location alongside fellow Palm Beach location Delray Beach, they displaced Fort Lauderdale / Broward County)
* Denver, which was a Matzo Ball site in 2013, and had been a previous location for the Matzo Ball through the mid-2000s,''Colorado Sunday'', The Denver Post, December 16, 2006
/ref> before its absence in the late 2000s and early 2010s
*Detroit, which was a new site for 2014 after Michigan eliminated decades-old "blue laws" in 2010 that had prohibited alcohol sales at bars after 9 p.m. on Christmas EveBarbara Lewis, ''MatzoBall Detroit: Jewish singles now have their own party on Christmas Eve'', Detroit Jewish News, December 18, 2014
/ref>''New Michigan law allows Christmas alcohol sales'', Associated Press (WXYZ), December 24, 2010
/ref>''Taverns in Michigan to Close Christmas Eve'', Associated Press (Milwaukee Journal), December 22, 1948, p. 17
/ref>
* Fort Lauderdale, one of the cities that had continuously been one of the three south Florida locations before 2020
*Las Vegas
* Montreal
* northern New Jersey - Roselle, a 2013 venueSociety of Young Jewish Professionals, Matzo Ball Cities, 2013
/ref>
*Philadelphia, a city that had been a venue in the mid-2000s and mid-2010s, with absences in the late 2000s and early 2010sLucy Briggs, ''Calling all Jewish singles to the 26th annual MatzoBall'', The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 19, 2012
/ref>Joanne Apice, ''MatzoBall celebrates 26 years of helping singles mix and mingle on Christmas Eve'', Examiner.com, December 19, 2012
*San Francisco, a previous location for the Matzo Ball in the mid-2010s and the mid-2000s, which had generated friction with the local Jewish Federation organized eventJennifer Liss, ''Latke vs. Matzo: Turf war brewing over S.F. holiday balls'', December 17, 2014
/ref>
* Providence, Rhode Island in 2008Bryan Rourke, ''Having a ball on Christmas Eve'', Providence Journal, December 20, 2008, p. 4
* Scottsdale, which was a Matzo Ball site in 1993, when it was co-hosted with video dating service Great Expectations, was at least an announced site in 2008 and 2014
* Seattle, beginning in 1994, which led to conflict with the local Jewish Federation, which already had an event named Matzah Ball on Christmas Eve
* Toronto (planned for 2009, but apparently withdrawn;Jean-Sebastien Marier, ''Matzo Ball coming to town at last'', The (Montreal) Gazette, December 23, 2009
/ref> not to be confused with the independent Toronto Matzoball event functioning since 1988)

Results

Rudnick promotes the in-person meetings that take place at the Matzo Ball as an antidote to online dating and its tendency to urge daters to always look for an even better catch around the corner. The event makes real meeting potential Jewish romantic partners, instead of simply viewing their photos and swiping on them in a Jewish dating app or website, like JSwipe or JDate – although Rundnick has partnered with both brands as sponsors at various times and advertised through them.Rachel Kurland, ''What It's Really Like to Attend the MatzoBall'', The Jewish Exponent, December 30, 2015
/ref> The ability to instantly have an in-depth conversation with a person deemed attractive makes a relationship more likely.

The socializing and flirting that takes place at the Matzo Ball gives rise to many romantic relationships., and Rudnick believes that this opportunity to meet other Jewish singles helps prevent intermarriage, while the ensuing in-faith marriages and Jewish babies that result are an effective force against assimilation.

Rudnick states that "countless" marriages have resulted from meetings at various Matzo Balls (and stopped counting after reaching the 1,000 mark). Rudnick himself met his wife at a Matzo Ball in 1997, where she tended bar.''Plans Under Way for holiday 'Matzo Ball' in Boca, Elsewhere'', Boca Raton/Delray Beach News, November 4, 2007, p. 6A, available vi
Google News
/ref>

Rudnick finds that people who attend a Matzo Ball event tend to be motivated to meet other Jewish singles, which makes the events a conducive environment for finding someone for a relationship.

As of the mid-2010s, there is a "second generation" of Matzo Ball attendees — children born to parents who first met at the Matzo Ball in previous decades — who are now old enough to attend.Hannah Orenstein, ''What It's Like to Attend a Jewish Singles Dance on Christmas Eve'', Cosmopolitan, December 28, 2015
/ref>

Rudnick also attributes some of the success and popularity of the Matzo Ball to the fact that the attendees are able to party in a venue that is very trendy and that can be otherwise difficult to be admitted to.

Competitors

There are also a number of competitors to the Matzo Ball, and other events organized in cities where no Matzo Ball is held.

The competition among the Christmas Eve parties has occasionally been stiff, especially during the "Matzo Ball wars of the early 90s", with use of similar-sounding event names, touts and bouncers to chase away those touts outside events, and ticket dumping to "crush" the competition.

The Ball

A major competitor to the Matzo Ball, and often confused with it,Emily Shire, ''The Craziest Date Night for Single Jews, Where Mistletoe Is Ditched for Shots'', The Daily Beast, December 26, 2014
/ref> has been known simply as "The Ball", which began in 1994 under organizer LetMyPeopleGo.

(As of 2018 and LetMyPeopleGo joining Tribester.com, The Ball was renamed "The Tribal Ball" and was not scheduled to be held in 2018, opting instead to restart on Christmas Eve 2019.Tribester - Jewish Events and Experiences, YouTube.com
/ref>JewishSinglesEvents, Facebook.com, October 19, 2018
/ref>''Upcoming Events'', Tribester.com, 2018
/ref> It was also not held during the pandemic years of 2020, 2021, and 2022.)

In New York City, The Ball has focused on having separate venues, five as of the early 2010, targeted by age demographic, and with attendees receiving limousine service between venues,''Seeking the perfect Matzo Ball'', JTA (Jewish Telegraphic Agency), November 30, 1999
although party-goers must purchase an all-access pass to attend all five events.

The Ball's perceived reputation has been of having a harder partying crowd and being more raucous.

In 2008, the organizer of The Ball, LetMyPeopleGo, attempted to expand the event into 24 other cities with significant Jewish populations.'challahbackgirl', ''Move over Latke Ball, The Ball 2008 is in Town'', Jews' Next Dor, December 12, 2008
archived a
WebCitation.org
/ref>Press Release, ''The Ball 2008 in Ft Lauderdale- The Nation's Biggest Jewish Singles Event (Christmas Eve, December 24)'', EventBrite.com, 2008
archived a
WebCitation.org
/ref> In almost all of those cities, with local marketing and co-hosting of the event performed by JDate, it was cancelled near the event date.
("Correction to This Article: The Ball, originally listed under Dec. 25, has been cancelled.")

However, the Los Angeles version of The Ball, which was instead co-sponsored and co-marketed by the young adults divisions of the LA Guardians, the Los Angeles Jewish Home for the Aging foundation, was successful and held again in 2009.Julie Spira, ''Jewish Singles Gather in LA to Celebrate the Holidays in Style and Support the Elderly'', Huffington Post, December 28, 2009
/ref>
/ref> ttp://www.laguardians.com/magazines/winter_09.pdf ''Young Divisions' Holiday Ball'', The Guardian (newsletter), Winter 2009, p. 10/ref> The co-sponsorship continued, raising money for the LA Jewish Home, through 2012.Jeff Strank, Press Release, ''Christmas Eve Not a Silent Night for 4,000 Jewish Singles at "The Ball"'', PRWEb.com, December 12, 2012
/ref> In 2013, the Guardians and The Ball broke off their association, as the Guardians began organizing their own Christmas Eve event.Laura Donney, ''Calendar: December 21-January 3'', Los Angeles Jewish Journal, December 19, 2013
/ref> The Ball, in turn, partnered nationally with online dating sites Match.com and OkCupid, both of which advertised The Ball events across the country to their members.Alan Zeitlin, ''O Holy Night!: Christmas Eve is abrim with lots 'o Matzo Balls and other events designed with Jewish singles in mind'', New York Jewish Week, December 23, 2013
/ref>

As of 2014, The Ball held Christmas Eve events in two cities: Los Angeles and New York.''Jewish Singles'', Let My People Go, 2014
/ref>

Niche and local events

New York City

Other New York City Jewish Christmas Eve events have included parties for "the pro-Israel crowd, Jewish gays and lesbians, and downtown Jewish hipsters."

The sheer number of events, combined with the compactness of Manhattan, means that events may be held within a short walking distance, if not eyesight of one another.

Chicago

Likewise, by the late 2000s, Chicago Jewish Christmas Eve events ran the gamut of tastes and preferred crowd.
/ref> These included gatherings named 'Rockmitzvah', 'Hubukkah', the 'Heebonism' bash (sponsored by Heeb Magazine), and the more mainstream 'The Juju Ball' and 'Retro Eve', a long running but now defunct event.Sarah Preston, ''Matzo Tov!'', Chicago Magazine blog, December 11, 2008
/ref> As of 2018, the local Jewish community group young professional divisions jointly sponsor the Matzo Bash.

Washington, DC

In Washington, DC, a competitor and alternative to the Matzo Ball since 1994 has been the Gefilte Fish Gala, an event with no admission charge but only a requested donation. It was originally hosted by the DC JCC before becoming sponsored by a collection of young professional groups.''25th Annual Gefilte Fish Gala Charity Fundraiser'', Washington Jewish Week, 2018
/ref> Unlike other similar events, when the evening of December 24 falls on the Jewish sabbath, Friday night, this event is moved to December 23.Aruna Jain, (December 23, 2004

Washington Post

During the 1990s and early 2000s, an additional event in the DC area was the Falafel Ball, hosted by a Jewish young professionals group in both Bethesda and DC proper.

Beginning in 2010, an informal group of Washington, DC, Jewish young professionals decided to organize another competitor to the Matzo Ball, the Falafel Frenzy, with all proceeds going to charity.Emily Jacobs, ''Falafel Frenzy'', Washington Jewish Week, January 3, 2013
/ref> The event has been successful in collecting money for local charities and continues to be held.Lavanya Ramanathan, ''10 things we love about the holiday season in the Washington area'', Washington Post, December 22, 2016
/ref>
/ref>

Atlanta

Christmas Eve events for single Atlanta Jews in the 1970s through 1990s included country music themed parties and parties hosted at the Masquerade nightclub by "David and David".David R. Cohen, ''Christmas Eve Parties Compete in Jewish Atlanta'', Atlanta Jewish Times - Times of Israel, December 18, 2015
/ref>

In the 1900s and 200s there were also competing events for mainstream audiences, such as an annual "Matzah Ball", unrelated to the SYJP event, and the 'Bagel Bash',''SCENE: MUSIC / PARTY / CHARITY'', Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 29, 2005, p. P24, available vi
NewsBank
/ref>''SCENE: NIGHTWATCH: Bagel Bash to tell hole story at Tavern'', Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 23, 2004, p. P24, available vi
NewsBank
/ref> and niche groups, such as the local NCJW section's 'Santa Klutz Ball' for older singles.Jonathan Barach, ''Thought You'd Like to Know'', The Jewish Georgian, November-December 2009, p. 9
/ref>

With the Matzo Ball's departure from Atlanta in 2011, the local community consolidated into a single major event, the Bagel Bash. By 2015, Bagel Bash was succeeded by Gozapalooza, and faced competition from the return of the Matzo Ball and a music event called the Jew Jam. Gozapalooza continued through 2017.David R. Cohen, ''Gozapalooza, Matzo Ball Set for Christmas Eve'', Atlanta Jewish Times - Times of Israel, December 19, 2017
/ref> Older singles also had their own events, including an unaffiliated 'Matzo Ball' in 2017, renamed 'Jewzapalooza!' in 2018.''Jewzapolooza!'', Atlanta Jewish Singles, 2018
/ref>

Houston

For a number of years, the Houston JCC sponsored that city's annual 'Bagel Ball' Christmas Eve party,Olivia Flores Alvarez, ''The Annual Jewish Community Center Bagel Ball'', Houston Press, December 18, 2014
/ref> which is now run independently.''5th Annual Holiday Party (Bagel Ball 2014)'', AllEvents, 2014
/ref>

Heeb Magazine 'Heebonism' events

Heeb Magazine sponsored and organized its 'Heebonism' events in various U.S. cities on Christmas Eve, targeted toward a "hip" audience seeking an alternative to events like the Matzo Ball, beginning in the late 2000s.''Holiday parties offer something for everyone — from "Heebonism" to "Mistletoe Madness"'', Denver Post, December 23, 2011
/ref> By 2009, Heebonism had expanded to five cities nationally. Nationally, Heebonism organizers sought to offer a more "culturally substantive" and non-conformist event, with activities including "strip dreidel", video games, and light food. At the Los Angeles/Palm Springs Heebonism in 2009, strip dreidel was led by porn stars James Deen and Joanna Angel.Jeff Weiss, ''Last Night: Strip Dreidel, Christmas Eve Heebonism and Jewjitsu in Palm Springs'', LA Weekly, December 28, 2009
/ref> In Denver, the local Heebonism event had its origin as a private pre-party for those seeking alternative entertainment before heading to the Matzo Ball.Lisa Rab, ''How Jews Do Christmas'', Westword, December 12, 2008
/ref> In 2010, Heeb ceased production of its magazine and became an online only publication but publisher Josh Neuman stated that the entity still intended to organize its annual Christmas eve Heebonism parties. However, Heebonism events retrenched and the Heebonism 2014 New York event was the last advertised.

Jewish community organized events

Other major cities have homegrown and well-attended Christmas Eve Jewish singles events, typically run by local Jewish community organizations in cities in which the Matzo Ball and The Ball have not held events or in which they did not stay.

Federation YAD/YLD

Events sponsored by local Jewish Federations' young professionals divisions, often in conjunction with other local Jewish groups, include Chicago's Matzo Bash,Samantha Nelson, ''11 classic ways to celebrate the holidays in Chicago'', Chicago Tribune, December 19, 2018
/ref>Samantha Nelson, 8 Holiday Parties, Chicago RedEye, December 13, 2013
/ref> Columbus's Mazel Bash,''YJC to hold ‘Mazel Bash’ Dec. 24'', Columbus Jewish News, December 21, 2018
/ref> Austin's Mazel Ball,Olivia Lueckemeyer, ''‘It's a Wonderful Life’ screening among events Southwest Austinites should know about this weekend'', Community Impact, December 21, 2016
/ref> Phoenix's Mazelpalooza,''Fun things to do in metro Phoenix for the rest of 2018'', AZCentral.com, December 23, 2018
/ref>Kellie Hwang, ''Dec. 24 is time to party at Mazelpalooza, Matzoball'', AZCentral.com, December 18, 2014
/ref>
/ref> St. Louis's Lollapajewza,
/ref> Seattle's Latkepalooza (moved to December 22 for 2018 ttps://www.thestranger.com/events/37180982/latkepalooza JConnect Seattle, ''Latkepalooza'', TheStranger.com, 2018/ref>),Candace Heckman, ''What if you're Jewish and bored stiff on Christmas Eve?'', Seattle Post-Intelligencer - The Big Blog, December 24, 2007
/ref> Cincinnati's Latkapalooza,Maija Zummo, ''Latkapalooza 2018 Takes Over Pendleton's 3 Points Urban Brewery '', CityBeat, December 19, 2018
/ref>Latkapalooza, The American Israelite, January 1, 2014
San Francisco's The Latke Ball,Shoshi Parks, ''The best Christmas events and holiday things to do in San Francisco'', Time Out San Francisco, November 27, 2018
/ref>Jay Firestone, ''One Jew's Christmas Eve'', The Jewish Journal (Los Angeles) - Calendar Girls blog, December 28, 2007
/ref> Detroit's Latke Vodka,''Latke Vodka Is Nov. 24'', Detroit Jewish News, November 12, 2018
/ref> and Tampa's Vodka Latke.Sarah Whitman, Jewish young adults to gather for ‘The Vodka Latke’, Tampa Bay Times, December 12, 2017
/ref>

Jewish Community Centers/Hillels/FIDF

Christmas Eve events run by local Jewish Community Centers, typically by their young adults division, include Orlando's Twelve24
/ref> and Dallas's Matzoh Ball (sometimes spelled as Matzah Ball) (in conjunction with the local Federation young adults division).''21 Things to Do in Dallas This Week'', Dallas Observer, December 21, 2017
/ref>Elizabeth Blair, ''The Master List: The Best Things to Do in Dallas This Holiday Weekend'', Dallas Observer, December 23, 2011
/ref>''The Matzah Ball'', Jewish Community Center of Dallas, 2014
/ref> Discontinued events include Las Vegas's 'Light it Up', previously named the Bagel Ball.''Jewish Nevada Community Calendar'', Jewish Federation of Nevada, December 2018
/ref>Religion Notes, Las Vegas Review Journal, December 17, 2011
/ref>Rick Lax, ''I Get Paid for This: Kicking Ass and Taking Notes in Vegas'', Huntington Press, 2011, p. PT 119
/ref>it Up (Formerly the Bagel Ball)'', JCC of Southern Nevada, 2014
/ref>

San Diego's local chapter of FIDF hosts their Jewbilee event,4th Annual Xmas Eve Jewbilee, Jewish Federation of San Diego, 2018
/ref> Denver's B'nai B'rith hosts their Jewbilee Bash,''Jewbilee Bash Denver'', Intermountain Jewish News, 2018
/ref> the Minneapolis media outlet TC Jewfolk co-hosted their Jewbilee music event, and Cleveland's synagogue Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple's Young Professionals co-hosts its The Winter Jubilee event, a successor to the Wrap Up Bash, with the local federation young adult division, Hillel, and other groups.''The City: Week of December 21'', Cleveland Jewish News, December 20, 2018
/ref>''18 Interesting Things To Do This Winter in Greater Cleveland'', JStyle, December 14, 2018
/ref>
/ref>

Schmooz-a-Palooza

Schmooz-a-Palooza was a long-running Christmas Eve Jewish singles event in Los Angeles.
/ref> ttp://static.jdate.com/events/schmooz-a-palooza JDate's 16th Annual Schmooz-A-Palooza, JDate.com (2009)/ref> It originated in 1993 with Stu & Lew Productions (which was later acquired by JDate in 2006Press Release, ''Spark Networks Acquires Schmooz-a-Palooza'', OnlineDatingScene, December 7, 2006
/ref>). The event evolved over the years from a social mixer to a party atmosphere, bringing together, for example, southern Californians who had not seen each other since their younger years in Jewish communal settings.Keren Engelberg, ''Have a Holly Jolly Schmooz-fest'', Jewish Journal (Los Angeles), December 18, 2003
/ref> It was also a noted opportunity for reconnecting and romance, seen as akin to offline JDate.Alie Ward, ''Your week, on a platter: Dec. 24-30 brings you horny Jews and Hamburger combovers'', Metromix.com, December 24, 2007
/ref>

By the 2010s, Schmooz-a-Palooza faced competition from numerous other local events, including a local young Jewish professionals charitable group's directly competing mixer and a Jewish comedy night at the Laugh Factory,Calendar: December 21 - January 3, The Jewish Journal, December 19, 2013
/ref> along with more loosely organized events, such as music performances by Jewish musicians and informal socializing and drinking organized by local Moishe Houses.Ryan Torok, ''Chanukah events around Los Angeles'', Los Angeles Jewish Journal, December 18, 2011
/ref>

Between the mid-1990s and mid-2010s, the Matzo Ball ceded the Los Angeles region to Schmooz-a-Palooza,Ryan Torok, ''It's a spicy MatzoBall!'', Jewish Journal, December 17, 2014
/ref> and starting around 2009, the Matzo Ball instead partnered with JDate and promoted the JDate/Stu & Lew Productions Schmooz-a-Palooza as one of the Matzo Ball events. In 2014, JDate decided to withdraw from hosting a Los Angeles Christmas Eve event, and turned over responsibility for it to Rudnick, ending the use of the Stu & Lew brand, as the Matzo Ball nominally took over responsibility for the event.

During the COVID-19 pandemic

2020

Through the end of November 2020, the organizers of the Matzo Ball publicly planned for a standard Christmas Eve of in-person Matzo Ball events, though with social distancing and other precautions practiced because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic in the United States. Venues in the various Matzo Ball cities, however, had not yet been determined or named.

In December 2020, the Matzo Ball was changed to a virtual format. It grouped attendees living nearest to any of 16 American cities, three major Canadian cities, London, Sydney, or Tel Aviv (expanded from the original intended city lineup), into regional groups, from which they were randomly matched with singles in the same age range for approximately 20 speed dates of five minutes duration over a two-plus hour period, beginning at 9 p.m. local time. After each virtual speed date, they were given the opportunity to indicate mutual interest, which led to a centrally coordinated exchange of contact information.

The virtual format made more explicit the goal of coupling and finding a boyfriend or girlfriend that underpinned the standard Matzo Ball nightclub party format of previous years. The organizers hoped to establish the Guinness Book of World Records title for the largest virtual speed dating event ever held with the 2020 event.

Rudnick also organized a separate centralized global speed dating event, titled "Jewish Melting Pot", on Christmas Day at 3 p.m. Eastern Time, in which Jewish singles worldwide are matched for video chat without regard to location or distance.

Tribester.com, which had purchased Matzo Ball competitor 'The Ball', did not hold a competing event.

With the exception of Austin and Kansas City, which moved their usual events online, local Jewish community groups throughout the United States and Canada on the whole did not organize Christmas Eve events for 2020. Jewish community groups in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York jointly sponsored a virtual event on December 23 that included a speed dating component, through the Trybal Gatherings initiative.

2021

In 2021, the opposing effects of the continuing pandemic and the widespread availability of COVID-19 vaccines, combined with Christmas Eve falling on the Friday night start of the Jewish sabbath, resulted in a range of responses by Christmas Eve event organizers.

The Matzo Ball was slated to be held in seven U.S. cities, under announced rules for attendance that varied based on state and local pandemic laws and ordinances, with the organization also hosting three U.S. regional online speed dating functions that same evening and a worldwide speed dating event the next day.

Tribester.com again did not hold a Christmas Eve event, announcing a postponement until Presidents' Day weekend of 2022.

Many Jewish community organizations nationwide likewise again did not hold a Christmas Eve event in 2021, but some revived their events—whether as normal though with a vaccination requirement to attend (Chicago and San Francisco), or moved to December 23 because of Shabbat on December 24 (Austin, Denver, and Phoenix), or converted into a set of local Shabbat dinners in conjunction with the organization OneTable (Cincinnati). The Dallas Matzoh Ball was skipped for 2021 due to the Shabbat concurrence, while the Kansas City Bagel Bash was canceled in the week before the event due to the late December spike in COVID-19 cases in the Kansas City area.

2022

In 2022, the relative calm in the pandemic situation saw the reemergence of numerous local community Christmas Eve singles events on December 24. At the same time, the timing of the eight nights of Hanukkah beginning a week prior to Christmas Eve meant that some communities moved their young adult events one or two weeks earlier to coincide with that holiday.

Scheduled to be held on December 24 were long-running events in Austin, Chicago, Cincinnati, Dallas, Phoenix, Seattle, San Francisco, St. Louis, and Tampa, while Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, and Kansas City all held events on earlier dates. Newly introduced to Calgary was its 'Jewdo - Festivus for the Rest of Us' event, and to San Diego's was the 'Not Your Bubbe's Hannukah Party', organized by Moishe House La Jolla and the Mazal Collective.

In Washington, DC, pre-pandemic mainstay events Falafel Frenzy and Gefilte Fish Gala were not scheduled, but a new event, the Bagel Ball, emerged, held in a bar across the street from the Matzo Ball venue on the same night.

The Matzo Ball was scheduled to be held in a total of six cities (one less than in 2021, due to the elimination of the second Palm Beach County location of Delray Beach). Discontinued was the video speed dating that had been a side offering in 2021 and the only event offered in 2020. Competitor Tribester again did not hold the 'Tribal Ball'. In the midst of an extensive ramping up of Jewish holiday events in New York during the season, Matzo Ball faced competition on December 24 in New York from an Israeli community-focused party organizer holding two events in New York City and from the young adult arm of the Reform movement's flagship NYC synagogue. A prominent New York gay Jewish singles event, Jewbilee, returned, as did Jewish-themed comedy shows on both coasts.

Similarly named events unaffiliated with SYJP / Mazel Events LLC

Other Christmas Eve singles events

Prior to Rudnick's organizing of the Matzo Ball in Boston in 1987 and expansion into other cities, Jewish organizations in other cities had used similar names for their own Christmas Eve singles events.

The Jewish Community Center of Dallas organizes its annual "Matzoh Ball" or "Matzah Ball" event, having begun in either 1981''Get Out There!'', The Dallas Morning News, December 22, 2008, available vi
Google News Archives/NewsBank
/ref> or 1984.''Weekly Planner'', The Dallas Morning News, December 15, 2001, available vi
Google News Archives/NewsBank
/ref> The event continues to be run each Christmas Eve under that name, now jointly organized by the JCC of Dallas and the local Jewish Federation young adults division,Katey Margolis, ''Kosher Kisses'', Dallas Observer, December 23, 2009
/ref> and is unaffiliated with the Matzo Ball event and Rudnick.

Atlanta also had its own "Matzah Ball" for many years.''Detours: Alterna-thrills'', Atlanta Journal-Constitution, February 9, 2006, p. 28, available vi
Google News/NewsBank
/ref>

An identically named Matzoball event has been held on Christmas Eve in Toronto since 1988.Daniel Koren, ''Matzoball 2013: A Quarter Century of Jews Partying Together on Xmas'', Shalom Life, December 17, 2013.
After a period of sponsorship in the mid-2010s by the Canadian unit of the Jewish National Fund and organized by Magen Boys Entertainment, as of 2018 it is sponsored by the UJA Federation of Greater Toronto.''Matzoball 2018'', Magen Boys Entertainment, 2018
/ref> The event organizers have indicated their desire to expand to other cities in Canada, particularly Montreal and Vancouver.

SYJP trademark disputes over Matzo Ball name

Rudnick and SYJP have also come into conflict with organizers of other events named similarly to Matzo Ball, including Seattle's Jewish Federation young leadership division, which changed its event name from Matzah Ball to Latkapalooza in 2004 after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from Rudnik's attorneys.Joshua Rosenstein, ''The battle over a name'', The Jewish Sound, December 18, 2004
/ref> The Federation's attorney's had insisted that because of the lapse in SYJP's federal trademark registration for the term in the late 1990s, and because the Federation had been using the term locally during that period, they were entitled to continue to do so.

Bowling-related events

The Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles entertainment division organized a late spring "Matzah Bowl" event for a number of years, beginning in 1996.Mike Levy, ''Calendar'', (Los Angeles) Jewish Journal, May 10, 2001
/ref> In Atlanta, the promoter of the 'Bagel Bash' organized an early spring bowling function for singles called the "Matzah Bowl". A 2009 Christmas Eve musical event at Brooklyn Bowl, co-sponsored by Israel's New York Consulate General, was dubbed "The Matzah Bowl".''And To All a Good Night'', New York Times, December 23, 2009
/ref>''Brooklyn Bowl's First Annual Matzah Bowl! - Inaugural Tribal Music Festival'', Brooklyn Bowl, 2009
The event derived its name in part from its location in a Brooklyn bowling alley.

Other events not targeted at single adults

Smaller Jewish community entities have also used variations on the "Matzo Bowl" name for a variety of events, including for knowledge competitions held by individual synagoguesSteve Dershowitz, ''From the Prexy's Computer'', in Temple Beth Torah Times, June 2008
and fundraising events organized by chapters of Alpha Epsilon Pi.KSUViolet06, ''What's your big thing(s)?'', GreekChat.com, August 15, 2004
/ref>

The Greater Kansas City Council of BBYO and its AZA Nordaunian chapter sponsor a large annual teen dance called the Matzo Ball, which celebrated its 75th anniversary in April 2010.Kansas City Star, March 31, 2004, p. 24, available vi
NewsBank
/ref>

Criticisms

The Matzo Ball and similar events have been subject to mild criticism that the events are " meet markets" or, more punningly, "oshermeat markets."Josh Novikoff, ''Hooking up This Hanukkah?'', DCist.com, December 22, 2008
Amy Winn, ''Find Fun at Place on 'Fringe of Christmas' '', Atlanta Journal-Constitution, December 23, 2002, p. 1E Women attendees tend to dress inappropriately in a revealing manner while men at the event are liable to use awkward pickup lines and noticeably prowl.Emily Shire, ''Finding Love, Or Just Another Makeout, at a Rowdy Jewish Singles Party'', Jewcy.com, December 20, 2012
/ref>

References

External links

Matzo Ball official website

Austin Mazel Ball 2018

Chicago Matzo Bash 2018

Cincinnati Latkapalooza 2018

Cleveland The Winter Jubilee 2018

Columbus Mazel Bash 2018

Dallas Matzoh Ball 2018

Denver Jewbilee Bash 2018

Detroit Latke Vodka 2018

Kansas City Bagel Bash 2018

Orlando Twelve24 2018

Phoenix Mazelpalooza 2018

San Diego Jewbilee 2018

San Francisco Latke Ball 2018

St. Louis Lollapajewza 2018

Tampa Vodka Latke 2018

Toronto Matzoball 2018

Washington, DC Falafel Frenzy 2018

Washington, DC Gefilte Fish Gala 2018

{{Organized Jewish Life in the United States , Communal activities

Balls in the United States
Christmas festivals
Winter traditions
Debutante balls
Recurring events established in 1987
1987 establishments in Massachusetts