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MARCH 11, 2021 | The Jewish Home
Porches, Pianos & Proposals The Jewish Home | OCTOBER 29, 2015
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D AT I N G B E C O M E S C R E AT I V E By Malky Lowinger
It’s
almost a year since a devastating pandemic has rocked the world and virtually every aspect of our lives has been affected. But somehow, we’ve learned to adapt to the new normal, and we persevere. We’ve also discovered that when there seems to be no solution to a problem, caring members of Klal Yisroel somehow find a way to figure things out. From the very beginning of the pandemic, it was clear that traditional dating was not an option. Back in the spring, during the early days of the lockdown, most people opted to stay home. Local shadchan Chani Lehmann remembers it well. “All of a sudden last March,” she says, “the question came up. Should we even continue redting shidduchim? Should singles meet under these
circumstances? I spoke to my rav, and his answer was crystal clear. ‘Never stop redting shidduchim!’ That’s when I knew we had to figure out a way to make it work.” Thus, a whole new chapter of dating began. At first, singles were meeting each other via Zoom. That worked for a while but clearly wasn’t a long-term solution. When the weather turned warm, daters met each other in outdoor public areas, usually coming in separate cars. It helped somewhat but with no restrooms or food options available, dates were deliberately kept short. “People did anything,” Chani remembers, “just to have some sort of date.” And so the world of shidduchim continued to function, although at a slower, more deliberate pace.
Eventually, several people offered their backyards and basements and pool houses to daters, an option that allowed for more privacy and comfort. In turn, Chani created a spreadsheet that listed all available dating venues. After she posted it on a shidduch chat, she started getting calls from eager hosts. “At first,” she says, “we listed maybe ten backyards. But then it kind of exploded. It went viral way beyond our imagination. People were texting us from everywhere with ideas for dating places. We listed furniture stores, office lounges, rooftops, game rooms, and more. The outpouring of caring was incredible.” As the offers kept pouring in at a steady pace, Chani realized that there was tremendous potential to turn this into something big. She also recognized
