16 | JUNE 27 • 2024 
J
N

M

anifestation is a self-
help exercise that 
refers to thinking 
things into existence. David 
Rodgers of Oak Park believes 
it helped him find his wife. In 
2005, he thought of a list of gen-
eral qualities he was looking for 
in a significant other — and met 
his wife-to-be soon after.

At the time, David was a 
student at the University of 
Michigan-Flint. Meanwhile, 
Beth Alter was starting her 
master’s degree at Wayne State 
University after having recently 
graduated from the University 
of Michigan. Her mother con-
stantly urged her to attend Hillel 
events. “You have to go; maybe 
you’ll meet someone!”
“It’s always the same people, 
Mom,
” Beth told her. Still, why 
not?
In fact, Beth and David had 
noticed each other once or twice 
before at Hillel events, but the 
first time they spoke was at the 
Chanukah party at Joe Dumars 
Fieldhouse in Shelby Township. 
Beth arrived with her good 
friend, Rachel, and David soon 

joined them, playing laser tag, 
putt-putt, chatting all the while, 
clearly interested in a very obliv-
ious Beth. Laser tag especially 
was a lot of fun, with high-scor-
ing players earning nicknames 
like “rocket scientists” and 
low-scorers — which included 
both Beth and David — being 
nicknamed “space cadets.
”
“
Actually, I didn’t catch her 
name that night,
” David admit-
ted. “Then, at the end of the 
night, I thought it would be 
weird to ask her for her name 
when I should have already 
known it!”

He’
d wrongly assumed her 
name was Dina and tried search-
ing for a Dina who attended 
the University of Michigan, 
but couldn’t find the right one. 
Eventually, he came across Beth’s 
picture on Facebook, confirming 
that she was not, in fact, Dina, 
and now he had the best way to 
contact her.
A few days later, Beth received 
a private Facebook message 
from David as she walked into 
her cousin’s Chanukah party. 
“Seeing as we’re both space 
cadets, I thought I’
d ask you out 
for a coffee,
” David had written.
Still oblivious, Beth assumed 
Rachel had gotten a similar invi-
tation but Rachel immediately 
set her straight.
“David obviously likes you, he 
hung around us all night!”
“I didn’t have a clue,
” Beth said 
with a laugh.

On Dec. 29, they had their 
first date — in three coffee 
shops. The first one closed at 9, 
the second closed at 10, and they 
were still talking so they finally 
found one that was open 24 
hours a day that wouldn’t kick 
them out!
“We hit it off and we’ve been 
together ever since,
” Beth said.
They’
d both grown up in the 
Metro Detroit area — Beth in 
Southfield, David in Huntington 
Woods — attended BBYO, had 
friends in common and even 
attended the same events.
“When Bill Clinton came on 
his whistle stop tour in 1996, 
we were both at the platform! 
Who knows, we could have 
been standing right next to each 
other,
” Beth said.
Two years after meeting, 
David was ready to pop the 
question. He planned to propose 
over dinner on the anniversary 
of their first date in an Italian 
restaurant in Windsor, but 
changed his mind.
“We happened to be sitting 
next to the guitar player, who 
kept turning and looking at us 
… it would have been awkward 
and ruined the moment,
” David 
recalled.
After dinner, they went to a 
holiday light show, which David 
thought might be a good pro-
posal place.
“But it was disappointing, just 
10 reindeer, a Santa, and it was 
bitterly cold. I decided it still 

He Knew What 
He Wanted 

ROCHEL BURSTYN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

OUR COMMUNITY
HOW WE MET

David and Beth 
Rodgers with sons, 
Jared, 8, Noah, 5, 
and Evan, 11

Beth and 
David at the 
International 
Auto Show 
in 2006

The happy 
couple at 
their wedding 
in 2008