68 | FEBRUARY 15 • 2024 J
N

Looking Back

From the William Davidson Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History 

accessible at thejewishnews.com

F

eb. 14 was Valentine’s Day. Time to 
send your valentine a card, candy 
and/or flowers … or maybe jewelry, if 
your valentine has been really, really sweet!
The origins of Valentine’s Day can be 
found over 1,000 years ago in a Christian 
feast in celebration of St. Valentine. Once 
Hallmark and other American entrepre-
neurs, and those in the United Kingdom and 
Europe, decided to transform 
the day into a secular holiday 
in the 19th century (and sell 
billions of dollars of greet-
ing cards, candy, flowers and 
assorted trinkets), Valentine’s 
Day has been a yearly celebra-
tion.
In the last century, many 
American Jews have jumped on the 
Valentine’s Day bandwagon. Proof of this 
is easily found in the William Davidson 
Digital Archive of Jewish Detroit History. 
Over 1,000 pages mention the holiday in 
love stories and advertisements, especially 
for the mainstay Valentine’s Day gift — 
chocolate. Lots and lots of chocolate.
It is good to keep in mind that, before 
celebrating Valentine’s Day, one needs to 
have a valentine worthy of one’s attention 
and affection. First things first! In this 
respect, historically, the JN has given Jewish 
Detroiters plenty of help meeting their spe-
cial others.
For 20 years, before digital dating became 
the dominant medium for bringing single 
persons together, the JN published personal 
advertisements. The JN “People Connector 
— Voice Connector” page ran from 1986-
2006. Not only did the JN print your person-
al ad (30 words more or less, TWO WEEKS 
FREE), it also served as a secure clearing 
house for responses to ads. This was the 
Voice Connector part of the operation. An 
ad from May 24, 1991, will explain.
If the stories I found in the Archive are 
any indication, the People Connector was a 
big success. See “Mission of Love: JN per-

sonal ad leads to a honey-
moon in Israel” for the story 
of Helane and Joe Samet 
with a fine wedding photo 
(March 5, 1999), or the July 
25, 1997, issue with photos 
of Esther and Frank Rosner 
as well as Nancy and Danny 
Cohen, who all met through 
the People Connector.
Perhaps the highest 
achievement for the People 
Connector was bringing 
Jennifer and Bert Green 
together (Sept. 8, 2005). She is a U-M 
alumna and he graduated from MSU! 
The JN also helped with video dating. 
An article from the Jan. 29, 1988, issue 
asks: “Is DTV — dating by television — 
the matchmaking wave of the future?”
Toby Chudnow of West Bloomfield 
noted the need for dating services for 
seniors. In response, the JN launched 
the “JN Love Connection” (Aug. 
14, 2014). Unfortunately, it never 
blossomed: digital dating was on its way to 
becoming the primary medium where sin-
gles meet.
Nationally, JDate.com is now the premier 
online dating site for Jewish singles, and it 
evolved to feature various age categories.
JN Contributing Editor David Sachs met 
his love, Freda Arlow, on JDate while both 
were in their 60s. The couple had a love-
ly and very meaningful wedding in their 
ancestral homeland at the Krakow, Poland, 
JCC. David wrote about their unique cere-
mony in the Dec. 24, 2020, JN.
Although the JN is no longer publishing 
the People Connector, we are still interest-
ed in what happens after dating. In 2023, 
the JN launched a popular series, “How 
We Met.” It seems that our readers still like 
great love stories. 

Want to learn more? Go to the DJN archives, available 
for free at thejewishnews.com.

Mike Smith
Alene and 
Graham Landau 
Archivist Chair

Matchmaker, Matchmaker!