The Ball in Hollywood

Angelenos of all ages enjoyed a Christmas Eve celebration in Hollywood.  LetMyPeopleGo.com in conjunction with The Guardians, a support group for The Jewish Home for the Aging hosted 1000 singles at the trendy Opera and Crimson clubs in the heart of Hollywood.

According to Star Magazine, “When Hollywood’s elite want a wild night on the town, they hit the hottest clubs in LA: Opera and Crimson. The two hot spots are livening up LA’s night scene with a virtual playground for A-listers.”

The list of attendees ran the gamut from A-Z, but the crowd was mostly a 30-40ish well-heeled and well-educated group looking to connect over the holidays.

The Ball, now a bi-coastal party, raised over $12,000 for the frail seniors that reside in the home.

The Guardians Director, Norman Fishman and Julie Spira

Norman R. Fishman, Executive Director of The Guardians, was enthusiastic about the support the younger generation was generating that evening. He explained in great detail about their Adopt a Parent Program, where for $39 a day, one can make a difference in the lives of their elderly residents with creative arts programs, concerts, and state-of -the art medical equipment.

Inside, there were multiple dance floors and beautiful people looking for something fun to do on Christmas Eve. I asked one single man how he found out about the event. He said he did a simple Google search for “Christmas Eve Party Los Angeles,” and The Ball appeared on his computer screen. He came in anticipation of meeting a nice Jewish woman, as his 8-year relationship with the girl he met on AOL had ended in 2009. Another single man talked about his career as an Investment Banker and said he was a huge fan of Martha Stewart. He referred to Stewart as a “very a nice person.”

Another man had a list of three singles’ parties in Los Angeles that he was planning to attend on the same night. This was his second stop. The mood was festive and I caught one couple who didn’t need the mistletoe to enjoy their Christmas Eve kiss.

Although this was the second year that The Ball partnered with The Guardians in Los Angeles, their New York event on the same evening celebrated their 14th year of Christmas Eve parties. Singles could club-hop, complete with rented Hummers to take them from door-to-door to five different venues in Manhattan.

If you missed The Ball, mark your calendar for March 18, 2010 for The Guardian’s 15th Annual March Madness Poker Tournament at Hollywood Park Casino.

Julie Spira is the author of The Perils of Cyber-Dating: Confessions of a Hopeful Romantic Looking for Love Online. Visit her at CyberDatingExpert.com

Christmas Eve Festivities for Jewish Singles

While Santa is making the rounds on Christmas Eve and families are sipping their eggnog, Jewish Singles around the country won’t feel left out. They will be celebrating in style with these exciting events. If you are lucky enough to live in one of these cities, put on your party dress, go celebrate, and have a great time. Who knows? You might just end up with a New Year’s Eve date before the night is over.

• The Ball – My friends at LetMyPeopleGo.com host the nation’s biggest Jewish Singles event for 14 years in a row. In New York they expect over 4000 singles who get to party-hop to 5 different venues in Manhattan. So many people attend this one affair, in fact, that a fleet of Hummer limousines is called in to shuttle guests from party to party! The New York Times calls it “A Shining Night.” I say, “Take the Chinese dinner and movie date off your calendar and head to The Ball for a Night to Remember.” In Los Angeles, the event benefits the Young Guardians, a support group for The Jewish Home for the Aging. Over 1000 singles are expected to attend the Los Angeles event which is held at two Hollywood hot-spots, Opera and Crimson.Watch the video from last year’s event.

• The Matzo Ball®  - Held in 11 cities around the country, The Matzo Ball® is a fun holiday party for all singles. Come dressed to impress. Presented by the Society of Young Jewish Professionals, JDate, and Sleek MEDSPA, the 23rd annual Matzo Ball, will be held in New York, Los Angeles (Schmooz-a-Palooza), Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Miami Beach, Boca Raton, Montreal, Ft. Lauderdale, Las Vegas, and Washington, DC.

Matzo Ball® on Christmas Eve