YIW launches shidduch initiative

Everyone has an approach towards shidduchim, and on Motzei Shabbat Dec. 10, Young Israel of Woodmere members gathered to share perspectives on helping local singles find their mates. Their newly-formed ongoing initiative, It Takes A Shul To Make A Match, brought over 200 members for the evening’s program.

The programming began with short presentations from the shul’s four rebbetzins, covering a wide variety of topics related to helping and supporting those in need of a shidduch, and what the Young Israel plans to do to lend a hand. The program ended with a networking session in the gym with refreshments and different booths containing information on the services the shul will provide for singles in the future. Pink and blue index cards were even handed out for the audience to suggest names to each other and jump-start the matchmaking process.

An online database of single shul members, gathered through an email “census” of sorts, will be created and various brainstorming and networking events are being planned. Future events include various inter-shul shabbatons and social gatherings anticipated for the spring, including having shul members house singles from out of town to meet locals in need of a shidduch. The Young Israel also announced it would join the Shuls Share program that exchanges names of singles with other shuls in the New York area and sends representatives to find the right pairings.

“We’re here tonight as a shul to begin a conversation,” said Assistant Rabbi Shalom Axelrod. He said that the project drew “a lot of interest from a lot of people in different spectrums,” from people going on dates based on Facebook profiles as well as shidduch resumes. He said it was unfortunate that other shuls have not addressed this issue.