BlindFate is an up-and-coming Instagram sensation that’s rocking the shidduch world. Founded by Rivkah Fox just about a year ago, BlindFate is a broad, innovative matchmaking platform that creates shidduchim through a constantly-evolving network of creative games. It might sound crazy, but it works.
Fox has been a matchmaker since she was 16, after matching a summer camp counselor with her bashert. She organically found herself creating matches between friends and slowly helped more and more couples find each other. A year ago, Fox made a spur-of-the-moment decision to post a few of her clients’ profiles to her Instagram story without names or other identifiers, asking followers to pitch match ideas—themselves or friends—for the so-called “contestants.” From the very first post, Fox received match suggestions, one of which led to dates, a happy relationship, and finally a marriage!
In the year since, BlindFate has grown tremendously on social media. Another matchmaking game was introduced, in which three girls and three guys would be posted and followers would match them to one another based on the compatibility of their profiles. From the first iteration of this game, one couple is now engaged. “And the craziest thing,” said Fox, “is they were in dental school together … And they turned from a platonic relationship over a few dates into romantic partners and they’re getting married in about a month.” As Fox explained, “It was just completely from God. They knew each other. He liked her. She was friends with him. And yeah, it was wild that what helped them go out on a date was this voting.”
From these games, BlindFate gained immense traction. After many successful dates, BlindFate began planning its first event. Fox decided to host this event in her own backyard, simply hoping people would show up. As opposed to the Instagram games, which tended to cater to younger singles, this event was intended for shomer Shabbat, shomer kashrut singles aged 27-37. Fox called this event “a facelift for the way that things are being done traditionally,” a way to ease the dissatisfaction with the traditional system of matchmaking. Along with games facilitating conversation and connection, the event’s “shtick” was the following: Baby photos of each attendee were pasted across a wall in the yard. Fox described this decor as being “like the Jewish idea that 40 days before a baby’s inception, the angel calls out who their match is, who their bashert is.” Just last week, this baby picture motif returned when Fox began making matches on social media simply through baby pictures and silly descriptions. She described it as “so pure, because babies are perfect, and that’s really what’s at the soul.”
Between the Instagram games and a massively successful event, word of BlindFate’s success spread quickly. Fox even flew out to Miami to host an event. As the company grew, Fox created more connections, both in the dating world and behind the company’s scenes. BlindFate recently joined the Orthodox Union’s Emerging Career Professionals department, with the OU investing in BlindFate’s success.
At this point, BlindFate is averaging an engagement a month with couples from all over the world. No longer are young women saying, “I’ve been suggested all the same old, I know all the guys on the Upper West Side,” said Fox. BlindFate has matched “contestants” from Europe, South America and Israel. BlindFate now sets up “blind” FaceTime calls that have resulted in many in-person dates, even across state and country lines.
Fox is incredibly grateful for the journey that both she and BlindFate have taken over the past year. “I’m a connector. I love connecting people.” She is very proud to be taking part in “reframing what dating could look like.” The matchmaker feels as though “Hashem is saying, ‘Rivkah, I like what you’re doing and I’m just going to support you.’ Making a match, it’s not a human thing. I feel like this is completely Hashem, and I feel like the luckiest person that I could be the funnel for this.”
Fox’s final message is this: “If God wants it to happen, it will happen. And sometimes, we could be blind to something that’s right in front of our eyes, but Hashem takes care of everyone and we just have to trust in Him. Our faith will lead to fate.”
To find out more about BlindFate or to apply to be a contestant, visit @rivkahfox on Instagram.
Eliana Birman is the assistant digital editor of The Jewish Link. She is a student at Barnard College and lives in Teaneck.
