A thriving business stays successful by remaining relevant. It is always evolving to ever-changing times and advancing technology. Matchmaking is not your conventional business, yet it benefits from the same notable attention and advancements. The challenge is to bridge technology with the warmth and sensitivity necessary to assist our singles in discovering their match. Congregation Shaare Zion has taken on the responsibility to embark on this blessed and important mission to change the face (and results) of matchmaking as we know it.
Shaare Zion has created SZ CONNECT, a unique service uniting community matchmakers. SZ Connect combines all community matchmaking resources in one Match Center along with a highly confidential master database. Rabbi David Maslaton and Mr. Jimmy Tawil are leading this incredible team thanks to the enthusiastic support of SZ President Dr. Victor Sasson.
“This is so crucial,” begins the Rabbi. “There are so many singles out there who deserve our utmost attention. Our Sages teach that from the day Hashem completed the creation, he occupied himself with matchmaking!”
At SZ CONNECT the mission is to emulate Hashem’s work by matching every day! As a result, The Match Center is open daily and allows the Matchmakers to convene, either for a formal meeting, or a quick visit between their day-to-day errands. Mrs. Chaya Maslaton, a beloved veteran matchmaker says, “Women in general are very busy, and when you are a matchmaker you do this while waiting on lines, raising kids, making dinner, and cleaning for Pesach too. With the new Match Center, women can now put aside a couple of hours where they can come to SZ to brainstorm, think and focus on matches. It is our pleasure to set aside a few designated hours a week to do this important work alongside everything else in our lives.”
“Few projects encompass the whole community,” says Mr. Jimmy Tawil, “and that’s one of the greatest and most unique things about SZ Connect; it’s a total community collaboration—its for everybody!”
Not only is this an incredible resource for singles of every age group, it is also for every religious level. The matchmakers involved are just as diverse as the singles they are bringing together.
Whether they are called matchmakers, shadchans or agents, the incredible mix of this team and each of their collective inventories, has resulted in some very novel and interesting matches. Mrs. Vicky Elbaz, an integral part of the team, explains: “Just the other day I went into the Match Center office in Shaare Zion for a meeting, where two matchmakers I never worked with before were busy adding new singles to the database. In moments we came up with four viable suggestions for older singles. We made some calls on the spot, and we got to work getting these people together for dates!”
The beauty of this venture is that all who are involved care greatly about the people they work with. They are honored to be able to work with like-minded individuals in this important capacity. There is a reassurance that they can rely on each other to ask questions and seek advice, especially from those who have many years of experience.
Mrs. Molly Haber, esteemed community matchmaker and Rebbetzin, is an important part of the team and is always willing to advise any matchmaker who can benefit from her knowledge.
Matchmaking today is quite different than it was in years past. Melanie Kishk, another enthusiastic team member, recalls “Not so long ago, there was a time when we knew everybody, but now the community is growing at a very quick pace and it is hard to know everyone and get to know them like we used to. SZ Connect is here to help link us to all the people we may otherwise not have any access to. It’s like a dream come true!” She adds, “I see that everyone is associated to somebody else. I love the idea of being able to correspond with new singles through second or third party connections. It makes our potential possibilities endless.”
A most efficient and beneficial aspect of the SZ Connect concept is that the singles are added to the database that is only able to be accessed confidentially by approved matchmakers.
Mrs. Frieda Betesh, an agent who has tirelessly helped to coordinate the database exclaims, “Now it’s all at our fingertips and we don’t have to chase people for information. Here you have everything—it’s efficient, faster and more productive!”
Mrs. Vicky Elbaz adds, ”What this organization is doing is truly amazing. Hours are spent organizing files in a user-friendly program that is so helpful to the matchmakers. It creates the opportunity to network with so many shadchanim in a timely manner. Dates are happening! I believe that this united effort will help take many of our singles out of our database, as they hopefully meet and build a bayit ne’eman (a faithful home) B”H.”
While SZ CONNECT officially began operation after Pesach, there were many matches and engagements already made in the preliminary process alone! Anyone who has ever worked with any of the outstanding matchmakers in the SZ network is already in the database or in the process of being added.
You can rest assured that the entire process is discreet. Anyone new who wishes to join, or for inquiries or guidance, please reach out via email to ShaareZionConnect@gmail.com or text (929) 400-7691. Singles are encouraged to meet with one of the matchmakers in person to insure maximizing the probability of success with this service. Tizku L’Mitzvot and may we share many semachot!
