The weather is starting to cool, but that doesn’t mean that our weekends have to! Here are some recipes and resources to make the most of this Shabbat.
Shabbat Post 11-16-20 by Micah Symons
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Shabbat Guide 11/13/20
The weather in Philly is starting to get colder, so here are some recipes and resources to keep you occupied while trying to stay warm.
Shabbat Post 11-13-20 by Micah Symons
Matchmaking FAQ
Hi, it’s Danielle, your friendly neighborhood matchmaker! Thank you for your interest in Tribe 12’s matchmaking initiative. Let me tell you a bit about it so you can see if it’s a good fit for you!
♥ COVID-19 note: as you can imagine, things have shifted during this time and we have moved both my conversations with people like you and all of our events online. I’ve updated the information below to reflect this new normal.
Who is matchmaking for?
People who are…
- → Dating in the Philly area (either living here or willing to date here)
- → In their 20s and 30s
- → Jew-ish in any way you personally define it
- → And by the way: any gender identity, any sexual orientation, any relationship structures!
What is Tribe 12?
Tribe 12 is a donor-supported non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Our mission is to connect people in their 20s/30s to Jewish life and community in Philadelphia today so they will choose to stay connected tomorrow. You’re on our website right now!
Why does Tribe 12 have an in-house matchmaker?
I watched my religious friends use traditional matchmaking to find love and thought, why can’t everyone have that kind of help and support? I started this matchmaking initiative in 2014 and it grew organically, today taking up about 75% of my work time. My other hat has a significantly less groovy title, Assistant Director, which means I support our staff as they work to achieve our mission.
What happens after I connect with the matchmaker?
After I get to know you, my goal is to give you access to my network of hundreds of people in their 20s and 30s who are dating in Philly’s Jewish community! Here are some ways that plays out:
- → Be your own matchmaker: Recommendations and introductions to communities, organizations and events where you may meet like-minded people on your own
- → Invitations to rooms you should be in: Our public Tribe 12 events, series and opportunities which match your interests; plus private, curated dating events which are invitation only
- → Personal introductions: Connecting you directly with someone else I have met with one-on-one
How much does it cost?
Since we’re a non-profit, we ask for a completely optional, one-time donation of $36 (which can be completed now, later or never at tribe12.org/donate) for keeping you in mind in this way. There is a Jewish tradition is to give your matchmaker a “gift” for a successful match – so if my connections result in you meeting someone great, I’d love for you to consider giving a donation of any kind to Tribe 12 then, too.
What’s the catch?
I like to be transparent ahead of time that this suggested-donation-service we provide is pretty hands-off, especially compared to what a matchmaking firm or dating coach would offer. If you are looking for that level of personal attention, here are my top three recommendations of people I know personally: Michal at Three Day Rule, Aleeza at Marriage Minded Mentor and Jessica at Fass Pass To Love.
OK I’m in! How do I book a time to speak with you?
Three options for your virtual convenience:
- → Fast: Add yourself to my calendar for a real-time virtual chat! I have a certain number of spots a month so that is why this option includes a longer wait to chat.
- → Faster: Add me on Whatsapp and leave me a video, voice memo or text with some basic info about you! I’ll reply with questions and we’ll go back and forth asynchronously, up to a week, til I feel like I have the information I need.
- → Fastest: Add me on Marco Polo and leave me a video message with some basic info about you! Same as above — we’ll go back and forth asynchronously til I feel like I have what I need.
I wish they had this for my demographic / city / organization / religion / whatever!
We are just starting to explore what it would look like to help others start a similar matchmaking initiative in their communities because as far as we know, we’re the only one! Set up a time to chat if you want to explore the possibilities.
Goldie Tahina Shake Review
Goldie is a favorite of the Philly Jewish food scene thanks to their top-notch Israeli fare. Their naturally vegan, not-too-sweet Tahina Shakes are the perfect complement to a falafel sandwich, but which one is the best? We at Tribe 12 set out to taste test them all.
Original
The first sip of Goldie’s original flavor tasted almost like peanut butter, but with a definite and slightly bitter sesame aftertaste. The consistency is reminiscent of a Wendy’s frosty, and the shake overall would go great with a hot order of their shawarma spice fries.
Coconut
My first taste was of this shake’s homemade whipped topping, which reminded me of my childhood favorite Girl Scout cookie, the Caramel deLite. The shake itself was considerably more melted than the others (food scientists please explain) and was a sweeter take on the original with hints of coconut flavor. It would be a fun summer flavor to sip in Rittenhouse Square Park.
Mint Chocolate
This shake is definitely minty, and is a great option for someone who wants a vegan shake but isn’t into the tahina flavor. It tastes specifically like spearmint, and the chocolate slivers added a nice variation in consistency, but it can be a little overwhelming as a whole.
Turkish Coffee
Did we save the best for last? I was skeptical of the flavor combination at first, but the coffee shake was topped with delicious little halva crumbles and has a nice balance of coffee and tahina flavor.
We ended with a two-woman hung jury: my favorite was Coffee, but I see the appeal of enjoying the novelty in the Original’s tahina flavor. Hannah’s best-liked was Coconut, but the possibility of an Original and fries was equally appealing.
Any one of Goldie’s tahina shakes is a great start to an NJP (Nice Jewish Picnic): grab some falafel, fries for dipping, and someone to share it all with.
Written by yours truly
Carly Goldberg carly@tribe12.org
Top 5 Jewish foods found at Trader Joe’s
Have you ever walked into Trader Joe’s, taken a deep breath, and thought: “Wow what a holy place.” Or– maybe that’s just me. Well, we hunted through the aisles and decided on the top five Jewish foods you can snag at Trader Joe’s! They are:
- Organic Classic Hummus
- Shakshuka Starter
- Organic Tahini
- Chocolate Brooklyn Babka
- Pastrami Style Smoked Atlantic Salmon or better known as lox
We’re already hungry again. Okay, time for a mid-day snack run…
Are there other things we missed?! Comment your favorite items so we can taste test and see if they make the cut!
Interviews with a Fellow: Doriane Feinstein
We asked our 2019 Fellows to answer some questions about themselves. Photo credit to Yael Pachino Photography. 
Here is our interview with Dori:
My venture in under 5 words is… Sex, theatre, and many questions.
Who inspired you to do this venture? My initial venture was entirely different, but during our retreat, I was struggling deeply in all of my assignments. I talked a lot about the play I was writing and one of my other fellows asked: “why don’t you just use your play as the venture?” Since then everything has become a whole lot easier.
My favorite life hack is… Ok, this is ridiculous but if you’re having a lazy day or just don’t want to do dishes for whatever reason, I use tin foil and put it over my dishes so I can just throw it away when I’m done eating! Obviously, don’t do it if you need to microwave the food but putting a sandwich on tinfoil on top of your plate saves so much cleanup. Also, metal straws make great chopsticks.
My friends call me… My friends call me Dori but I force them to add fish emojis when they save me on their phone (because my identity entirely revolves around Finding Nemo). But to clarify, no one is allowed to call me Dori Feinstein. It’s Doriane, Dori, OR Doriane Feinstein– those are the options.
What makes me nerdy is… I have 50 + digits of pi memorized and have a calculus tattoo.
If I were a kitchen appliance I would be… Most definitely a coffee maker, probably a stupidly fancy French press that takes forever to use, is a pain to clean, but makes such incredible liquid goodness.
How lucky are you and why? I have a pretty weird life so it can get blurry between whether I am the luckiest or unluckiest human out there. I’ve had 3 near-death experiences but managed to live through them– I also walked through a demolition site by mistake the other week, a car caught on fire in front of me, I had to evacuate a house I was at for work because the police said there was a fugitive on that street with a pertinent smell of gasoline… But hey I’m still here and a lot of weird stuff keeps life interesting.
You’ve been given an elephant. You can’t give it away or sell it. What would you do with the elephant? His name is Eli the Elephant. He is my new best friend. He lives in my back yard and when it’s cold out we’ll cuddle together in my house. He will give me rides to work while he focuses on learning his way around Philly. I’ll probably sign him up to volunteer somewhere in South Philly or Old City because I think he’d appreciate the abundance of parks and artsy architecture.
Dori’s venture, Theater Listens, is a program that facilitates discussion and engagement on consent, mental health, and other sensitive topics through the use of original theatrical works. Ask her all about the venture at Launch Night!