I have declared quite frequently what I think of the dating scene today and how I feel for the young men and women who are encouraged to meet through shadchanim. I doubt I will ever change my opinion on that subject. Watching young men and women dressing in their finest clothes while attending a wedding and then seated at separate tables and in many cases with a mechitza between them does not sit well with me. What a waste of time spent making up one’s face and doing one’s hair.

Recently, however, I witnessed a coming together of two very special young people. The kallah is Channa Roll of Baltimore and the chattan is Doniel Eisenberg of Rochester. Every single person who has been involved in the blending of this sweet young couple is convinced that in this case there was only one shadchan who could have been responsible for it and believe it or not it is my beloved Mordechai. How could that possibly be, one may ask? The history of this shidduch goes back to the mid 1970s. As a very young rabbi and rebbetzin we entertained many people in our home. One of the people who became a ben bayit in our home was a young man whose name was Ernie Roll (now known as Rabbi Yisroel Roll). He became the baal koreh of our shul, the Young Israel of Val Royal, and spent many, many months living in our home over Shabbosim. In fact, his roommate at the time was our daughter Dena who was then only a few months old and slept in her crib in the same room.

Reb Yisroel (as he is now known) developed a strong bond with my Mordechai and over the years began to refer to him as his rebbe (that made me his rebbetzin). He went on to accomplish many great things in his life and never forgot who his rebbe was. Lo and behold, one day my daughter came to tell me that Doniel was dating a girl who I knew (trust me, that has never been the case with my other grandchildren). I looked at her and questioned how that could possibly be true, when she spilled the beans and told me the name of the girl Doniel was dating. I looked at her and said, “Ernie’s daughter?” She smiled and told me what was soon to become public to the entire family. The first time that Doniel visited Channa’s home in Baltimore her father took him to see a picture of my Mordechai which he had displayed in his house. He also had tapes of him which Doniel was able to listen to.

My first reaction to all of this was that the coincidence was truly bizarre, and then it began to sink in that this shidduch really had the hands of kedusha. This shidduch, probably his first, came directly from the heart and kindness of my beloved husband and the esteemed Zaidie of Doniel. As Rav Roll and his charming wife Julie said, “What more could we want in life than to have our daughter have you as her Bubbie and Zaidie?”

There are so many crazy aspects to this story. The Roll “kids” remember coming to our home in Montreal and sleeping in our basement in sleeping bags when they would come to visit their own grandparents, whose apartment was too small to accommodate them. There are just so many amazing angles, too many to list.

I have to say in response to the Roll’s elation, as well as the euphoria of our children, Malkie and Baruch, how proud my Mordechai and I have been of the many accomplishments Rav Yisroel Roll and his wife are known for. Gosh, he was just a young bochur when he visited with us. As he spoke at the L’chaim in Rochester he said that after spending time in our home he told his parents that he wanted to be “like Rabbi Glick.” When asked why, he responded, “Because he is always happy.”

Welcome to the family again, Rav Yisroel and Julie and Chana. Your new Bubbie loves you as she does all of her other amazing grandchildren! Mazel Tov!