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