Crochet, pickleball, mahjong, and needlepoint may be among your
bubbe's
favorite past times, but younger generations are gravitating to these alternative activities at increasing rates. Learn how this group of Zoomers-Generation Z-is bringing newfound relevance and popularity to these retro hobbies.
Dafna Kutliroff, Crochet
Dafna Kutliroff, 21, from Evanston, began crocheting during her gap year after high school, when she attended seminary in Jerusalem. "I thought it was really peaceful, and I love having a practical skill that's also really artistic," she recalled.
Her projects include skirts, shirts, hats, bags, and, currently, a poncho. At the University of Maryland, where she studies Environmental Science, Kutliroff sells crocheted honeybees at a local farmers market. "Kids love them," she said.
Crocheting and other tactile hobbies "get creative juices going," Kutliroff explained. They're an "excuse to get out of the digital age" and try something new...well, to her.
Josh Brickman and Rachel Spirier, Pickleball
Rachel Spirer, a 32-year-old accountant and Josh Brickman, 34, who works in software development, live in Chicago and grew up playing tennis. Now, they've both embraced pickleball; they even met through a ChiTribe pickleball league.
"It's just very social," Spirer explained of the sport's broad appeal.
"It's easy to learn how to play," Brickman added. Unlike tennis, even beginning pickleball players can immediately feel like they're getting a good workout while enjoying the game. In pickleball, you also stand closer to the net than in tennis, so it's easier to have conversations [during games]."
After seeing each other for several weeks at pickleball games, Brickman and Spirer saw each other at a JUF Young Leadership Division event and spent the evening chatting. They went out a few days later. They continue to play pickleball, in leagues and pickup games around town.
"In the city of Chicago, there are so many venues where you can go play," Spirer said. "There are always people you can play against. It's a good way to stay active and meet people."
Sydney Cohen, Needlepoint
When Sydney Cohen, 25, moved to Chicago, her boyfriend's mother, now her mother-in-law, offered to teach her needlepoint.
Cohen found a social center at Third Coast Stitches, a needlepoint store in Lincoln Park. "I thought I'd be the only 20-something there," she admitted. Instead, she found a vibrant community of young needle pointers. "Every other Wednesday they have 'Sip and Stitch.' It's a great way to meet people. I've made some of my best Chicago friends there."
Nearly all of the participants are in their 20s and 30s. In fact, Cohen needlepointed
kippot
for her wedding; and this summer, she's working on a challah cover.
"Needlepoint is an extremely social hobby," she explained. "Instead of sitting on your phone for hours, you're creating something beautiful. It's a productive hobby. It feels like you're using your brain."
Alyssa Gross, Mahjong
Alyssa Gross, 32, estimates she's taught mahjong to about 300 Chicagoans. She originally learned how to play the game in Dallas and quickly incorporated mahjong into her social life there. "I loved the sense of routine it created because I got to see my friends one Sunday a month," she said.
After moving to Chicago over a year ago, Gross started teaching people here how to play. She was soon overwhelmed with requests to learn, and set up a business, @TheMahJongSociety. "The vast majority of people range in age from late 20s to early 40s," she observed.
Cohen also arranges mahjong games at different venues around the city. She values the way younger players are embracing the game and making it their own. "People find a new side of themselves when they connect with other people in person," she said. "You get to use your brain and also get to socialize."
Dr. Yvette Alt Miller, Ph.D., is a freelance writer living with her family in suburban Chicago.
