This Christmas Eve, there is something for young Jewish singles to do other than eat takeout and watch old movies.

The Matzo Ball – a prom-like event for Jewish singles – is coming to town tomorrow night after 22 years of activity south of the border.

Held for the first time in a Boston nightclub in 1987, the event is a perfect opportunity for young Jewish singles to “meet a nice Jewish boy or girl,” organizers say.

Andrew Rudnick, founder of the Matzo Ball, said he got the idea after attending a similar – but smaller-scale – event more than two decades ago. Unfortunately, the dance floor wasn’t big enough and the venue was badly lit, not the best environment for flirting.

“I said to myself, ‘Why isn’t this event at the nightclub I work at?’ ” the former bartender said.

Matzo Balls are now organized annually in upscale locations across North America. Last year, between 13,000 and 15,000 partygoers hit the dance floors looking for their soulmate.

The Society of Young Jewish Professionals, a group founded by Rudnick that is organizing the event, is expecting 500 to 700 guests for the first Montreal edition at Suite 701.

The downtown lounge will feature DJ Sentinel and a Top 40 playlist that night.

“I always have a blast at Matzo Ball,” a former attendee commented recently on the event’s website.

Rudnick joked that Matzo Balls are held specifically on Christmas Eve ‘‘because virtually there is nothing else to do for young Jewish professionals other than eat Chinese food and watch It’s a Wonderful Life reruns.’’

But beyond the festive aspect of the event, the ball has a pragmatic mission: bringing together Jewish singles age 18 to 49 with hope of sparking lasting romantic relationships.

For many Jewish individuals, finding a same-faith partner is important, Rudnick said.

“People (attend the ball) specifically to meet another Jewish person for a long-time relationship or marriage. So that’s why it’s successful, because the timing in people’s life is right.”

Morton Weinfeld, chair of Canadian ethnic studies at McGill University, explained that members of the Jewish diaspora traditionally marry one of their own.

However, the number of interfaith marriages is slowly increasing, he added.

“For the community, it’s a problem because in the long run it can reduce the number of Jews, and the community has been concerned with survival. For some Jewish families, it is an issue because it can signal a break between the generations.”

Other religious and cultural minorities have similar concerns, Weinfeld said.

Jewish dating websites such as JDate.com and events like the Matzo Ball are striving to cope with the issue.

Rudnick is proud to say that his organization has helped to foster more than 1,000 Jewish marriages so far. He is himself a living example of this.

“I met my wife at the 1997 Matzo Ball,” the 45-year-old Florida resident said.

While the event “is geared toward Jewish singles,” organizer Steph Berkovitch wrote in an email to The Gazette, “it is open to everyone.”

In addition to Montreal, Matzo Balls are organized in 10 other cities this year, including New York and Las Vegas.

A similar event for Jewish singles, organized by a different group, is also set to take place in Toronto tomorrow night.