How to Meet Jewish Men in NYC

The New York metropolitan area is home to the largest Jewish population in the world outside Israel. Thus for Jewish men and women eager to meet singles in their community, the Big Apple offers dating opportunities galore. If you are a woman in NYC and eager to meet Jewish men, here are some ways to get started.

Do your homework

What makes NYC a prime city for dating among Jews is that here one can find singles from specific sects as well. New York City is home to the world headquarters of the Hasidic Chabad-Lubavitch group and the Bobover, Pupa, Vizhnitz and Satmar branches of Hasidism, ultra-Orthodox sects of Judaism. In 2012, more than a million Ashkenazic Jews were estimated to live in New York City and constituted about 12% of the city's population, while approximately a hundred thousand Sephardic Jews live in the city too. Most of the Sephardic Jews in NYC have settled along Ocean Parkway in Brooklyn while the other Sephardic Jews live in the Upper East Side of Manhattan and in Staten Island. The newer immigrants, have settled in Queens, south Brooklyn, and the Bronx, where at present most live in middle-class neighborhoods such as Riverdale. As such if you are keen to date single men from specific Jewish sects, NYC offers reasonable chances of success.

TIP: Match.com has many Jewish men from NYC looking for dates.

Explore community resources

Whether you are Reform, Conservative, Orthodox or Reconstructionist, synagogues are a sure bet when looking for a Jewish dating partner. If you belong to a synagogue, ask your rabbi about any Jewish singles programs in your area which you can join. New York City with its dense Jewish population has any number of synagogues though locations may vary depending on your religious affiliation. You can find your local Chabad House for the Orthodox sect or Hillel for a mixed group. Each has Jewish singles programs of its own and joining these will throw you in touch with Jewish singles who have similar beliefs. If there isn’t that one special person who catches your eye, all you have to do is mix around and you may just have a date set up for every night of the week with the son, niece or grandchild of the many people you will meet.

Make yourself useful

Volunteering is a great way to meet young people. Find an organization that interests you so you're sure to meet other volunteers with whom you share common values. One good way to meet other Jewish singles is to volunteer at JCorp, the largest network in New York City. It's non-religious, non-denominational, and open to all Jewish young adults aged 18-28. JCorps also does not require any long-term commitment or advanced training, so you can volunteer as frequently as you like. Also you can join a Jewish committee to be involved with an important cause. Explore the Jewish Community Center in your locality since most offer programs for Jewish singles. Ask your friends about upcoming Jewish charity events. You can often become part of a committee by promising to invite participants and donors to an event. If you have technical or design skills, decide if offering these to a charity will help you get more involved.

Join an association

If you wish to avoid overtly religious or charitable associations, you can still find several associations that will help you meet like-minded men from the Jewish community. One of these is the Young Jewish Professionals (JYP) is not only meant for networking and advancing of business opportunities, but also caters towards advancing social opportunities for young Jewish professionals. YJP aims to create a congenial, stylish and casual setting for Jews in their twenties and thirties. Other than this you can also get involved with political groups, such as groups supporting a candidate, and thus get acquainted with rising political stars in your community, who if lucky, may be single even.

Take a class

Hobby classes and special interest groups offer one of the best chances to meet men with whom you are likely to share a high degree of compatibility. Similar interests and hobbies can not only prove effective in breaking the ice but will ensure that you have things to talk about and do together much later in your relationship. So look for Jewish classes, whether of religious or cultural nature, that are offered throughout New York City. Most Jewish studies departments in graduate schools around the city, offer adult education programs as well evening classes. One such resource is the 92nd Street Y which has a wide range of hobby and activity options. Again the Center for Kosher Culinary Arts in NYC offers fun recreational classes in the art of Jewish cooking. Also check out the Jewish Community Centers scattered in NYC which host a variety of special interest classes like on Jewish arts, languages, crafts, rituals and culture. The Interesting speakers, hands-on approach as well as a mentally stimulating environment offered at these venues make for a great way to meet new people and potential partners.

Ask around

Often the simplest approach turns out to be the most effective. If you are looking for an eligible guy in your own community, shrug off your inhibitions and Ask your family and friends to set you up – every Jewish aunt and grandmother knows at least one single Jewish man. and while this may involve a good deal of family scrutiny into your personal life, meeting someone through family and common friends has its own advantages – for one you are more likely to meet in a comfortable homely setting and for another, since your loved ones know you well, they will try and set you up with someone compatible.

Log in

Online dating has traditionally not been welcome in the Jewish community. However now with young men and women becoming increasingly busier, many singles from the community are finding it easier to meet potential partners online. There are several Jewish dating sites where you can search for contacts in New York Metropolitan area. Finally there are a plethora of meetup groups in and around NYC which invite Jewish single men and women to dinners, brunches, parties, movies and other singles events. All you have to do is sign up and get ready to meet the man of your dreams.