NY: Jewish Charity Reaches Out to Downtown .

When the UJA-Federation of New York reviewed its donation spreadsheets recently, the Jewish philanthropic organization noticed something missing.

While funds poured in from the Upper East and West Sides, Long Island and Westchester, one particular area slacked: downtown.

So UJA launched a downtown division and threw a party at 7 World Trade Center this week to encourage neighborhoods below 14th Street to get involved. To target downtown residents, Lisa Silverstein, chairwoman of the new division, devised ways to pull in the under-30 demographic. "It's a tricky group," she said.

First, tickets were $150, less expensive than UJA's usual events, which can cost up to $800. The party wasn't billed as a dating event, but when entreating friends to come, some planners pointed out it would be a great place to meet Jewish singles.

There was a sushi buffet and Lady Gaga playing. Shot girls in tight, white mini-dresses served vodka cocktails; young men in yarmulkes played Ping-Pong. "There's a young, trendy population down here," Ms. Silverstein said. "The fact that any of them came is amazing."