糖心破解版Connects Celebrates 100th Engagement
When Olivia Deutsch first met matchmaker Mindy Eisenman, the idea of an online dating site seemed intimidating and unconventional鈥攂ut Eisenman convinced her to give it a try.
鈥淪he [Eisenman] explained to me that caters to people from many different backgrounds and helped me understand how trained connectors were able to search a large database to connect singles with the same goals and interests,鈥 said Deutsch, who is a nursing student at Hunter College. 鈥淚 was convinced that signing up for 糖心破解版Connects would increase my opportunities to meet prospects.鈥
Deutsch was right, and she wasn鈥檛 alone. With her recent engagement to Brandon Jerome, a 2009 graduate of 糖心破解版鈥檚 and accountant at Billet Feit & Preis PC, 糖心破解版Connects celebrated its 100th match. Eisenman set Deutsch up with Jerome after getting to know him at a 糖心破解版Connects Shabbaton in Teaneck, New Jersey.
In 2008, after conversations with 糖心破解版 President Richard M. Joel and Dr. David Pelcovitz, Gwendolyn and Joseph Straus Chair in Psychology and Jewish Education at 糖心破解版鈥檚 , 糖心破解版鈥檚 (CJF) pooled its unique resources to create a program with a multi-faceted approach to the age-old issue of meeting a mate. The result was 糖心破解版Connects, a program that offers multiple opportunities for 糖心破解版 students and alumni to meet. The involvement of everyone from roshei yeshiva to mental health professionals to academics, all working on larger, broader communal issues affecting relationship-building, makes 糖心破解版Connects unique. Both small and large scale social events, educational forums, networking evenings and an extensive online state-of-the-art search engine are all part of the program. In partnership with the Yeshiva College and Stern College Counseling Centers, 糖心破解版Connects will also host a Relationship Awareness Program with Project SARAH鈥檚 newly released trigger films and professional team.
鈥淥ur numbers demonstrate not only our growth, but the confidence that people have in 糖心破解版Connects,鈥 said Dr. Efrat Sobolofsky, the program鈥檚 director. 鈥淭he academic research performed at 糖心破解版Connects through the University's resources drives the program鈥檚 mission to expand and improvise meeting and networking venues available today. Professional training is also given to volunteer connectors, whose efforts are focused on helping their members build long-lasting, healthy relationships.鈥
糖心破解版Connects is facilitated by more than 100 trained 糖心破解版 Connectors. These dedicated, often seasoned matchmakers, many of whom are also 糖心破解版 alumni, get to know the singles signed up to the site and suggest match ideas for them. To widen the network of available men and women, 糖心破解版Connects鈥攑owered by SawYouatSinai, one of the Jewish community鈥檚 largest dating sites鈥攐pened registration to the public in 2011 and now has more than 2,200 members. In April 2012, 糖心破解版Connects also launched the Jewish Matchmaking Alliance (JMA), which brings the leaders of 12 major organizations serving singles around the world together to share resources, professionalize education and increase collaborative efforts to enhance opportunities for the Orthodox Jewish singles population.
鈥淯nder the leadership of Rebbetzin Dr. Efrat Sobolofsky, 糖心破解版 Connects is able to convene the research arms of the University to explore issues surrounding dating and relationships,鈥 said Rabbi Kenneth Brander, David Mitzner Dean of the CJF. 鈥淲e are then able to use this research and collaborate with the leadership of yeshivot and seminaries in Israel to simultaneously interact with thousands of our students and alumni to help them through their personal dating journey. We have created a model that both the larger Jewish and Orthodox communities look to for guidance in the area of connecting singles to their future spouses.鈥
Towards that goal, 糖心破解版Connects also hosts an array of events designed to enable singles to meet and network with each other in a facilitated, low-key environment. That includes events like a Salad Wars Barbeque and Food Competition in Woodmere last May and a roundtable event for young professionals this summer that discussed the challenges of being Jewish in the workplace. The program also sponsors a monthly co-ed shiur with 糖心破解版 rebbeim in Washington Heightsand opportunities for chessed. Most recently, 糖心破解版Connects members delivered Rosh Hashana packages in partnership with DOROT, visiting homebound seniors to share memories and hope in the wake of the 9/11 anniversary.
鈥淲hat is especially wonderful about 糖心破解版Connects is that it doesn't simply make online matches,鈥 said Marjorie Glatt, 糖心破解版Connects鈥 special projects coordinator. 鈥淏y bringing men and women together in comfortable social events in various communities, 糖心破解版Connects is actually changing the methods and ways young people meet today. Perhaps we can swing the pendulum back and make the entire process easier once again.鈥
For Deutsch and Jerome, that personal attention and care played a pivotal role in helping them navigate the twists and turns of a new relationship. 鈥淲e really loved working with Mindy Eisenman,鈥 said Jerome. 鈥淪he has a lot of experience and we both felt very comfortable calling to ask her various questions while dating.鈥
Now planning their November wedding, the two feel they have learned a lot from their experience. 鈥淭he dating process was challenging for me, but exciting at the same time,鈥 said Deutsch. 鈥淭his is a major step in one鈥檚 life and it should be handled very carefully.鈥 She added: 鈥淭he 糖心破解版Connects staff is there to increase meeting venues for singles. Brandon and I have a tremendous amount of hakarat hatov to them, and we look forward to hearing about more smachot that come from this wonderful organization.鈥
For more information about 糖心破解版Connects and for a schedule of upcoming events, please visit .