yidiosyncrasy

Drake Sports Park smelled like barbecue Sunday as 70 Shir Shalom Young Adult Group members descended for a potluck. "They brought food, they brought sports equipment, the kids played baseball together--it was awesome," said Sarah Sherman, 32, membership coordinator for YAG.

The group, which targets 25-40-year-old singles, couples, and young families, started about a year and a half ago as a way to build a community within a community, said Sherman, one of the group's founders. It meets the first Wednesday of every month at 8 p.m., and has held two picnics, two wine tastings, and a bowling event so far. "I want it to be a community for me. I want to go to temple and see my friends there; I want to know people at the temple and be involved," she said.

And it's not just Shir Shalom members showing up for YAG's events--the group's programs net area young people who don't yet need to belong. "We find a lot of people our age are unaffiliated because their kids are not in religious school yet," she said, characterizing attendees as a generally "down-to-earth, cool crowd."

The group's next event is an August 13 catered barbecue and outdoor service.