Shortly after the Jewish festival of Tu B’Av, known colloquially as Jewish Valentine’s Day, a record number of Jewish singles joined the world’s largest virtual dating event.
6,747 singles from nearly a dozen countries joined Tuesday’s event, where in just one hour, 15,463 dates took place.
Tuesday’s event saw hundreds more singles than last year’s record.
The Jewish singles were connected with one another based on their personal preferences and their location. If the pairs agreed, they could opt for a second date online or in person. Half of all the participants confirmed they had planned a second date with at least one of their matches.
The event was organized by Partners in Torah, AISH, DateNight AI, and CoronaCrush, alongside 30 other organizations.
"The program was outstanding this year," said Tehilla Friedland, COO of Partners in Torah and lead organizer. "Last year's event led to dozens of long-term relationships and three marriages so far. We're hoping to celebrate even more matches turning into lasting partnerships."
The singles looking for love
Offering a remote matchmaking service proved particularly helpful for D., who lives in a small South African community with limited access to other Jewish singles.
"I'm very thankful for this opportunity. I'm looking to date seriously, but there aren't many Jewish singles where I live," D. said.
“It was an incredibly successful event,” said Stephanie Cemal, the Community Manager of CoronaCrush. “We connected 6,747 Jews from around the world and made thousands of matches in the 1-hour events across two time zones. It’s amazing what can be achieved when you put technology and purpose together. We’re so grateful to Aish, Partners in Torah, and our 35 other partners across the world for helping us achieve this and hosting the biggest speed dating event ever. We're looking forward to seeing the marriages and relationships that will come from this!”
Rivkah, one of the participants from Jerusalem, told organizers after the event that: "At first I didn't know what it would be like, it was my first speed date. It was carefully planned, very relaxed, and I just enjoyed it. And I think it's very blessed! Because what you see in a resume that is written technically and a photo, you don't see when you talk to the person face-to-face. It helps remove prejudices and opens your mind to other styles. Thank you very much for the blessed project!"
Another participant, named Rachael, who joined the event from London, added: "I had the best evening. It was so well organised and I met loads of people that I could genuinely see connections with."
An American participant from Chicago also joined in praising the event after he met a match that he will be seeing again: "Ultimately, I was very, very apprehensive and worried, but was pleasantly surprised. I have had the absolute WORST experiences with dating apps, so this was a breath of fresh air to actually get matched with people."
"The Jewish response to hatred has always been life, and there's no better way to build Jewish continuity than through meaningful relationships," explained Rabbi Steven Burg, CEO of AISH. "This event gave thousands of wonderful singles the chance to meet and take the next steps toward building their futures together."