Sussex County, NJ — At the new members brunch on Sunday, the Jewish Men's Club of Sussex County had more to offer than sesame bagels, lox and vegetable studded cream cheese. Those who took part defied statistics that say that civic life in America is a relic of a dying past.
Bagels and Brotherhood: How Guys Grow a Community
Sussex County, NJ — At the new members brunch on Sunday, the Jewish Men’s Club of Sussex County had more to offer than sesame bagels, lox and vegetable studded cream cheese. Those who took part defied statistics that say that civic life in America is a relic of a dying past.
Over cups of coffee and between bites, the camaraderie flows. A few of the regulars at the Jewish Men’s Club of Sussex County have yet to show up, but the room is already humming with chitchat punctuated by laughter.
Jeffrey DeChacon, originally from Santiago de Cuba, cracks jokes like the one about why Jews cannot stay in jail – because they eat lox. It’s clear the guys enjoy each other’s company.
“We are there for each other,” said club president Dr. Joseph Haddad. Their buddy system is precisely what most Americans miss out on.
In his 2000 bestseller Bowling Alone, Harvard’s Prof. Robert D. Putnam charted the disintegration of social groups. Over the last 25 years, club attendance in the U.S. has dropped by 58%. Bridge clubs, knitting circles, alumni associations are folding. Prof. Putnam decried its detrimental effect on society. As Yogi Berra put it, “If you don’t go to somebody’s funeral, they won’t come to yours.”
As Rabbi Shmuel and Toby Lewis got to know Jewish families as the Chabad representatives to Sussex County, they noticed that the area was missing something.
“People in the community do not have roots from generations of living here. People come from all over the place,” said Rabbi Lewis.
“They were getting to know us, but not each other that well.” The Lewises began urging the group that assembled at Chabad of Sussex’s twice-monthly Shabbat services to enrich their lives by sharing more than formal prayer services.
