(Courtesy of YUC) YUConnects (YUC), the celebrated matchmaking service based at Yeshiva University, is thrilled to announce its 650th engagement, Leora Lasson ‘17SB of Baltimore, Maryland and Daniel Lefkowitz of Toronto, Canada. This momentous engagement was matched by connector Shani Goldschmidt of Queens, New York and underscores YUC’s 15-year commitment to fostering meaningful relationships throughout the broader Orthodox Jewish community. In celebration of this milestone, YUC is launching a CauseMatch fundraising campaign with matching dollars starting April 7, with the goal of raising $300,000. These funds will support the expansion of YUC’s programming and staffing to better serve its growing membership.
Just a few months ago, YUC celebrated its 613th engagement. The happy couple is Eliana Steinreich of Teaneck and Uri Strauss of Staten Island. “We are honored to be the 613th engagement through YUConnects!” exclaimed Steinreich. The success of this match was facilitated by Talya and Abie Weinstock, whom Eliana and Uri thanked for bringing them together. Dr. Efrat Sobolofsky, director of YUC, added, “It is heartwarming to experience firsthand the joy of new couples as they plan their futures. Every chuppah celebrated inspires us to work harder to create more Jewish families.”
In addition to its matchmaking success, YUC emphasizes the importance of relationship education. The organization is hosting two educational events on March 27 featuring discussions on healthy and successful relationships. These events will be held at Congregation Ohr HaTorah in Bergenfield and Young Israel of Woodmere in Woodmere, New York. Speakers include Dr. Miriam Adler, Rabbi Josh Blass, Malky Galler of YUConnects and Rabbi Larry Rothwachs at the Bergenfield event; and Mindy Eisenman of YUConnects and Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz at the Woodmere event.
The organization also offers the CandiDate podcast, a valuable resource for singles, which has released over 65 episodes and attracted thousands of listeners. In addition, YUC has embarked on a new initiative in partnership with SawYouAtSinai (SYAS) utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its matchmaking capabilities. This pilot program, developed by Yeshiva University computer science students Zach Fish, Yitzy Richter, Alexander Shapiro, Eitan Jesselsohn and Daniel Zolty under the guidance of Prof. Dave Feltenberger, aims to complement YUC’s personalized matchmaking service.
Recent initiatives also include the addition of two male matchmakers, Rabbi Andrew Israeli and Rabbi Jordan Ginsberg, on the Wilf campus–both of whom have already developed a warm rapport with many of the young men they’ve met during their weekly visits to the Beis Medrash.
“This is such an invaluable expansion, as we are able to collaborate on match ideas for our wonderful men and women,” said Eisenman. While this initiative is recent, dozens of dates have already been generated.
YUConnects has been at the forefront of Orthodox Jewish matchmaking for more than a decade since it was founded at Yeshiva University. Its success is built on the dedication of over 100 volunteer online matchmakers, a committed staff, and the support of numerous interdisciplinary professionals. As YUC launches its fundraising campaign, the community is invited to support this vital service that plays a crucial role in building more Jewish homes.
For more information and a schedule of upcoming events, visit yuconnects.com, call 646-592-4259 or email
[email protected].
To donate to the upcoming CauseMatch campaign, please visit https://causematch.com/yuconnects
