More than 10,000 Jewish singles set to take part in 'world's largest speed dating event'

The event is organized by Partners in Torah, Aish, and CoronaCrush and joined by more than 100 organizations.

"Every year the response grows, and every year we hear new stories that remind us why this matters," said Tehilla Friedland, COO of Partners in Torah and one of the event's lead organizers. "We are not just running an event. We are building a community, one date at a time."

"Singles told us what worked and what didn't, and we listened," she said. "This year's questionnaire and matching are smarter, and we are ready to help even more people find each other."

Gila and Neriya are one of the couples who met at last year’s event, according to Aish’s statement. What began as a seven-minute video call ended in marriage this past February.

Gila had just made aliyah from London when she decided to sign up for the event. "I was sitting in the call with my friend, and we saw it [the event listing],” Gila recalled. "I was like, why not? To think that I met my husband is really crazy."

Neriya had moved to Israel from the US to study in a yeshiva. Although he had been searching for a way to meet someone who had already made aliyah, he was initially hesitant to speed-date. When the event came across his feed, however, he decided to give it a chance.

"There are only benefits to this," he said. "Either you spend an hour of your evening and nothing happens, or you spend an hour of your evening and find, in seven minutes, the person you're going to marry."

According to Aish, the two spoke on the phone for two hours following the event, and stayed in touch daily for weeks before meeting in person. They were engaged three months later and were married less than a year after they met.

"It's really crazy," Gila said. "Almost a year later, I'm celebrating a year of meeting my husband. I never thought it would happen this way, but I'm so grateful it did."

"You really just never know where your husband is going to pop up from,” Gila said.

Goldie had already participated in seven speed dating events before attending last year’s. “I believe in putting myself out there as much as I can,” she said. “If Hashem wants me to find someone, then I have to allow for the opportunity. I don’t really fit into a typical community box, so I needed to try different venues to meet someone.”

Goldie was matched with seven people, one of whom was Barak. The two dated for six months, got married in June, and are planning to make Aliyah.

"You never know. You could meet your spouse as I did. Or, at the very least, you're just meeting another Jewish neshama searching; that’s something that someone once told me, and I really connected with it,” Goldie said.

This year’s large roster of partnering organizations reflects growing recognition that Jewish communities worldwide are looking for accessible ways for singles to meet, including in smaller and more isolated locations, organizers said.

Couples are matched according to preferences and location where relevant, according to Aish.

CEO of Aish Rabbi Steven Burg said, “The Jewish response to building the future has always been through relationships and family. Every year, this event brings together singles who might never have crossed paths otherwise, and every year we hear that it changed someone's life. Tu B'Av has always been a day associated with matchmaking in Jewish tradition, and it feels fitting that this event now carries that spirit forward for a new generation."