Meet a nice Jewish boy or girl – 4/01/2007
By Margot Carmichael Lester
Looking for a nice Jewish boy or girl to date? Don’t wait for your date with destiny. Be proactive and create opportunities that will get you what you want. “Being involved in Jewish activities with other Jews is the best way to meet your bashert, the one you’re destined to be with!” says Jerry Silverman, president, Foundation for Jewish Camping. With that in mind, we asked experts and singles to suggest ways to meet a match who shares your faith. If you want to play the field, try them all!
- Look online. “I am not one to pick up someone in a bar or club and in those situations you don’t always know if they are Jewish,” says Robyn Greenblatt of New York. “Online, people usually say if they are or not. Online dating has definitely taught me what I do and don’t want in a man. I have made some great friends who were not The One and definitely met some interesting men along the way.”
- Go for it. When someone appropriate enters your world, don’t let him or her slip away. “Simply say hello, exchange a few words the next time you see this person, then approach him or her for something along the lines of a date,” counsels Joshua Estrin, president and CEO of Concepts In Success in Plantation, FL.
- Be respectful. “I attend religious events and activities to connect with spirit, not another person,” cautions Rebekah Black of Miami, FL. “I don’t want to be hit on during the event. But I don’t mind if a guy waits till it’s over to make his move. This shows he respects the spirit and the intent of the observance—and that he respects me.”
- Tell your friends. “Tell everyone you know, and I mean everyone, that you are looking,” says Ronnie Ann Ryan, author of MANifesting Mr. Right: It’s Never Too Late to Find the Love You Want. “From a business networking perspective, they say every person knows 250 people. Why not leverage your network of family, friends and colleagues to find the love you want? People who meet on blind dates get married every day—that’s how I met my husband!”
- Get involved. “I met a very nice woman who also had volunteered to clean up after our synagogue’s Purim Feast,” says David Rohr of Los Angeles, CA. “We chatted as we worked, and I offered to buy her a coffee afterwards. It was a nice first date that led to several more.”
- Have a Singles Seder. “Have your single Jewish friends invite a single Jewish friend of the opposite sex,” says Lisa Shield, a Los Angeles-based relationship coach. “You’ll feel at ease, have lots in common with the guests, and show your best self around friends and friends of friends.”
- Attend talks. “Many universities, temples and Jewish charitable groups hold frequent talks on current issues in Jewish culture, world affairs and religious studies,” says Anthony Green of Seattle. WA. “This gives you something to talk about immediately after the event, and you know you have similar interests.”
- Get to know parents. “Jewish parents love nothing better than to set their kids up with other nice Jewish kids,” laughs Daniel Getsinger of Berkeley, CA. “So make it a point to get to know Mom and Dad or Grandma and Grandpa. It’s worked for me. That’s how I met my wife.”
Using any (or all) of these tips should increase your chances of meeting the boy or girl of your dreams.
Carrboro, NC-based freelancer Margot Carmichael Lester is the author of The Real Life Guide to Life After College. She pens the Ask Margot advice column, so send your faith-based dating questions to AskMargot@match.com.
Single for too long, Ronnie wanted to find love. She put her skills from personal development and her spiritual path to work, dating 30 men in 15 months to meet her adorable husband Paul. Discovering the keys to manifesting and midlife dating, she founded It’s Never Too Late to help smart, successful women find love or live an empowered and magical life. Ronnie Ann Ryan, MBA, CCC, is a Certified Coach who has helped 1,000s of midlife women with her Love & Magical Life Coach services. She’s the host of the Breathe Love & Magic podcast and has been featured on NBC, ABC, & Fox News, NPR, BBC, eHarmony, MSN.com, and Connecticut Magazine among others. Also, Ronnie is the author of 6 books which are available on Amazon.
