| (lubavitch.com) When Fiddler on the Roof made its | | | | themselves have recently become |
| 1964 debut under the bright white lights of | | | | religious,” she explains, and are new to the |
| Broadway, theater-goers and reviewers hailed it | | | | approach and focus that dating takes in an |
| as a period piece with rich nostalgic value, but little | | | | observant environment. |
| relevance to contemporary society. | | | | “A lot of people were frustrated that there |
| Much has changed since the Tony-award winning | | | | was no easy, systemized approach to |
| musical first opened its doors, and today, many | | | | dating,” says Illana Bergovoy, cofounder of |
| people are looking at one particular aspect of | | | | the Chicago Shidduch Group. “We had hit a |
| shtetl life with new interest. | | | | bottleneck.” |
| Yenta is getting a face-lift. | | | | The Chicago Shidduch Group operates in |
| With grumbles about a dating crisis reverberating | | | | conjunction with partner organizations in 25 cities |
| throughout the various segments of normative | | | | around the world. Participating mothers, fathers, |
| Judaism, singles and parents are turning to | | | | and matchmakers apply a two pronged approach |
| matchmakers with a vengeance. And they are | | | | to making matches. Members share profiles on |
| responding with an increasingly high-tech presence | | | | international teleconferences and participate in |
| reflecting changing social needs. | | | | weekly gatherings of prayer, charity, and study. |
| ChabadMatch.com, a grassroots matchmaking site, | | | | “We are friends helping friends. I pray for |
| boasts 800 active Chabad members and 23 | | | | my friends’ children and they in turn pray |
| weddings in about 24 months—since the | | | | for mine,” explains Bergovoy. The |
| site was launched. Creators, Ester and Moshe | | | | combination of practical networking and spiritual |
| Raichman realized that many of their single friends | | | | offerings seems to be working. At least 40 |
| were having a hard time getting dates. The | | | | couples have met and married through the |
| couple, she is from Sao Paolo and he hails from | | | | group’s efforts. |
| Houston, lives in Jerusalem and understands the | | | | Zack and Rachel are one such couple. Within |
| complications of a global dating scene. | | | | minutes after presenting her daughter |
| “Unlike many other religious | | | | Rachel’s profile on a June teleconference, |
| communities,” explains Raichman during a | | | | Dvora received a message that a matchmaker in |
| matchmaking workshop at the International | | | | Montreal had the perfect match. A flood of phone |
| Conference of Shluchos, “the Chabad | | | | calls and emails crisscrossed the country before |
| community is spread out over six continents. | | | | the two 20-somethings met. Engaged less than |
| Previously, matchmakers were limited to singles | | | | three months later, they are now planning their |
| that they knew,” clearly limiting their base. | | | | wedding. |
| “Now, the site’s 50 matchmakers | | | | The resurgence of the modern matchmaker is |
| can match singles all over the world, based on | | | | not only a Jewish phenomenon. Until recently |
| many different variables.” Raichman | | | | adults were delaying serious commitment, hoping |
| stresses that ChabadMatch offers, “the | | | | first to win that elusive promotion. But with the |
| same old recipe of a shadchan, parent, and single, | | | | current economic situation, many have turned |
| with a new twist: the internet.” | | | | their search away from making partner to looking |
| Tzirel Frankel, a matchmaker on the site, made | | | | for a life partner. A recent New York Times |
| her first match by accident. Since then, the Los | | | | article highlighting this trend reasoned that |
| Angeles mother who has married off three of her | | | | misfortune creates a need for comfort and |
| own children has paired up many happy couples. | | | | company. Matchmaking sites and local |
| Beyond the initial introduction, Frankel | | | | matchmakers have seen a huge spike in business: |
| “works as a counselor, mentor, and guide. | | | | the newly unemployed have more time to devote |
| When I am setting up a couple, I feel like they | | | | to their personal lives. People feeling the financial |
| are my own kids.” | | | | crunch are finding that arranged dates are also |
| Frankel believes that the site provides a | | | | less expensive than costly blind dates. |
| necessary service to so many in the broader | | | | Though our global community is no Anatevka, |
| Chabad community. “There are many | | | | more than 100 years later it’s clear Yenta |
| families where the parents or the singles | | | | was onto something . . . |