ARTS&LIFE
TV

as she got a shidduch 
for you. 
No need to swipe 
right or left when 
Aleeza Ben Shalom’s 
around. The star of 
Netflix’s wildly popu-
lar Jewish Matchmaking 
series, Ben Shalom 
is bringing her Jewish relationship and 
dating witticisms to a community-invited 
event at Aish Detroit on Monday, July 31. 
Aish is bringing in Ben Shalom to help 
launch its new Wisdom Café. The Café 
is open to all Jewish people who want to 
drop in for casual get-togethers, remote 
working, classes, speakers, book clubs, 
Torah study groups, canasta games, play 
groups and, of course, coffee.
As the ultimate Jewish matchmak-
er and dating coach, Ben Shalom will 
impart her expertise of 16-plus years in 
the Jewish matchmaking biz that includes 
helping more than 400 singles find their 
bashert, the Yiddish term for soulmate. 
That’s 200 couples who made it to the 

chuppah, thanks to Ben Shalom.
“The way that you make a soulmate 
in this world is that you get married 
under the chuppah — that becomes your 
soulmate in that exact moment that you 
choose to get married, that person is your 
soulmate,” says Ben Shalom, who met 
her bashert, Gershon, at a Jewish singles 
retreat in Orlando over 20 years ago. “But 
finding your person is the hardest thing 
to do in the entire world, and that’s where 
I come in.”
Anyone — individuals or couples — 
can attend Ben Shalom’s keynote talk 
and audience Q&A on July 31. Following 
her talk and book signing that evening, 
Jewish singles are invited to try to find 
their own soulmate at a SpeedDating 
afterglow.
According to Rabbi Simcha and Estie 
Tolwin of Aish Detroit, Rabbi Yakov 
Deyo of Aish Los Angeles originated 
SpeedDating. The Tolwins were working 
at Aish NYC at the time and would host 
hundreds of SpeedDating events in New 
York City. On July 31, the Tolwins and 

Aleeza Ben Shalom 
will tell all on July 31 
at Aish Detroit.

continued on page 60

JULIE SMITH YOLLES 
CONTRIBUTING WRITER

58 | JULY 27 • 2023 

Matchmaker
Matchmaker

Netflix’s Jewish

 Gives Tips for Finding Your Bashert

