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GesherCity Jconnect
January 16, 2002Comments (0) | Add | E-mail this to a friendBy CINDY SHER
Associate Editor, JUF News Chicago
 As much as Greg Weintraub enjoys his chosen profession as a law clerk, he had hoped to meet lots of different types of young Jewish people upon graduating from law school at the University of Chicago. It can feel claustrophobic, at times, constantly surrounded by soon-to-be lawyers, according to Weintraub.
That's when he began attending jconnect events. As a division of The Hillels of Illinois, jconnect started as a pilot project, 2 1/2 years ago, aimed at connecting Jewish post-college young adults (ages 21-30) to each other and to the Jewish community of Chicago through a variety of programs.
Hillel representatives first concocted jconnect because they sensed a void for Jewish post-grads.
After college and Hillel days--for some--were finished, there seemed little opportunity to make Jewish social connections with peers. Young adults needed a way to continue the "Jewish Journey" rather than cut it short at the green age of 21 or 22.
"Sometimes young adults, returning from college and/or moving to a new city, are so bogged down with their job and/or school that getting connected to the Jewish community isn't a first priority," said Suzanne Schachter, director of GesherCity jconnect Chicago. "But if someone reaches out to them, they might feel differently, that 'Oh, the Jewish community cares about me.' They might try to be connected."
And now the Jewish community is reaching out even more as jconnect takes on a new partnership. Jconnect has teamed up with GesherCity, a non-profit organization with the mission to bridge (gesher means bridge in Hebrew) young adults to Jewish Chicago by providing them with a personal network of other young Jews and access to resources in the Jewish community.
The two organizations merged in November to become GesherCity jconnect Chicago, a partnership reflected in Seattle and Miami as well. Jconnect's strength always had been its varied programming, while GesherCity had offered technological and marketing services to assist Jewish community programming for young adults.
Now they work together to provide young people with the best possible Jewish resources. At www.geshercity.org, young Chicago transplants and veterans alike can find many ways to connect Jewishly to the city.
They can access everything from a Jewish roommate online to a health club. They can also search for a "cluster," which is a group of people interested in participating a particular activity together, such as volleyball or Shabbat dinners. Plus, they can learn about all kinds of Jewish happenings for 20-somethings in Chicago.
GesherCity jconnect organizes about four to five programs a month, sending invitations to its 800-member-plus database, a number that continues to climb. It offers large events, often at a club or bar, such as last month's Latkepalooza, a Chanukah celebration that drew some 300 revelers to Hi-Tops, a downtown nightclub.
Alternatively, there are smaller programs for young Jews to become acquainted with one another in a more intimate setting.
Loopites take a break from the hustle and bustle of the workday to celebrate a holiday or participate in a social action project over lunch during Lunch in the Loop.
At party of eight, Jewish strangers numbering eight congregate at a restaurant to meet and eat.
And literature aficionados gather for RASSATAI to read a short story and talk about it at a Lakeview coffeehouse.
GesherCity jconnect offers at the very least a starting point for friendship, according to Weintraub. "When you're fresh out of school, you're starting anew in life, and you're just looking for something to start a conversation about," he said. "The fact that you have Judaism in common, whether it's the religion element or just the social upbringing, it gives you a way to get the conversation started."
Most of the GesherCity jconnect programs are co-sponsored by GAP, the graduate and professional schools division of The Hillels of Illinois. The Hillels of Illinois are an affiliate of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago.
Learn more about Weekend in the Woods, a February 1-3 winter getaway at Camp Chi. Call Lori at (312) 357-4702 for details or e-mail gap@juf.org.
To find out about Jew Ha-Ha at Comedy Sportz, taking place on January 22, call Suzanne at (312) 357-4983 or e-mail jconnect@juf.org.
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