Freshly retired from careers in the business world and looking to give back to the community, Char Cohodes and Freddie Weisberg co-founded Old School Jewish Matchmaking as a labor of – and for – love. In their very analog way – no computers or algorithms to match people up – they’ve spent the past 18 months building up a roster of senior singles.
But at their first big, group event on Aug. 9 at the Minnesota JCC, they found a community yearning for companionship.
The first Sunday Shmooze event, held in partnership with TC Jewfolk’s FolkLab and JMatchmaking, Sholom, and the Minnesota JCC, brought more than 70 single seniors together for trivia, a nosh, and conversation.
“It exceeded our expectations,” said Weisberg. “It was a robust and amazing turnout. People were in such a good mood. They seemed really happy to be there.
“Maybe the expectations were too low?”
Cohodes said that she was “so happy” that they struck a chord in the community with the event and the initiative.
A full crowd at the first Sunday Shmooze event at the Minnesota JCC. (Galit Breen/TC Jewfolk).
“After meeting with people for a year and a half, we learned that there is a lot of loneliness and isolation” in this demographic, Cohodes said. “Love is great but there’s also an opportunity for community and connection.”
Alex Carlon, the community outreach coordinator for Sholom, had a great time partnering with everyone involved – especially Cohodes and Weisberg.
“It was such a blast working with them,” she said. “Even the way they set the room up, they were so interested in what was going to induce connection.”
As participants checked in for the event, they drew a number at random from a bowl, and that determined where they would sit. Carlon designed the trivia games in a way that created conversation – with a bit of competition mixed in! Even with a long line waiting to get in, Carlon said no one gave her a hard time about waiting.
“Chatting with people you’ve just met in line is just another connection point,” she said.
Connection was clearly the key outcome from a successful afternoon.
“We didn’t want to create just a singles event with romantic pretense,” Carlon said. “We’re expanding the meaning of the word ‘single;’ not just love but in life. Maybe you’re new to town, or you’re looking to reconnect with the Jewish community. We wanted to make it low-stakes in that regard.”
Weisberg said that she thought people may be disappointed if they came and didn’t find the “love of their life.”
“Maybe in my mind I was projecting that,” she said. “But people had an opportunity to be somewhere where everyone was single, and they appreciated the camaraderie of being together.”
Irit Vinitsky, the Minnesota JCC’s enrichment program facilitator, said she was pleased to be part of a group that brought so many together.
“It shows us the community is looking for connection, and we want to build on this and offer more programs,” Vinitsky said. “Who knows how many friendships will come out of this? It’s a nice opportunity for people to get together. I think we’ll all benefit from that.”
Cohodes said the success of the event validated the choice her and Weisberg made to do this volunteer work after retirement.
“So many people thanked us and asked us to do that again,” she said. “How can you not feel the reward for doing it?”
Galit Breen, TC Jewfolk’s Director of Engagement said, “TC Jewfolk is always looking to create or highlight onramps for Jewish community. It seems like the coordinating team for The Sunday Shmooze found one with this event! It was wonderful to feel the energy in the room, the friendly competition, and the din of conversation and connections made. We’re all very excited for the next Sunday Shmooze event!”
The next gathering is Table Games Social for Jewish Singles Over 60 on Sunday, October 18, 2026, 2- 4 p.m., in Minneapolis.