As I watched my wife network on behalf of a friend who is single, I noticed the following scene unfold. She first fumbled through her phone to find a blurb that was buried in an old text. Then, she parsed through her thousands of emails to locate the resume. Finally, she perused the notes on her phone to see her list of single guys and tried to pick the best match. Only then did she consult another friend to review the idea and determine if it sounded like a good fit.

Not surprisingly, what was initially meant to be a five-minute conversation to discuss just one idea turned into a three-hour event where they exchanged their entire list of singles in an attempt to brainstorm for each one.

As this unfolded before my eyes, I thought to myself, “Is this what everyone does when they try to set someone up?” Not only did I find this was commonplace, but some people I surveyed had adopted an even more inefficient process. I set out on a mission to gather as much data as I could on how people in the Orthodox world go about setting up their friends, family and any singles they know. I discovered that some people keep running lists on their phones, others keep spreadsheets on their computers, and a select few, to my dismay, jot down ideas in notebooks.

My first follow-up question was always, “And do you find that this is a productive and organized way to continuously keep track of everyone?” The response I received was almost always a resounding “no.” When I probed further on how they network to find new singles to match with their list, the answer often included phone calls, weekly meetings, or WhatsApp groups with friends and strangers who have similar interests in setting people up. It is now typical to have a WhatsApp group of hundreds of people who simply post a resume or short bio of a single in an attempt to network on their behalf.

From an organizational aspect, the problem with these methods is that ideas often get lost or forgotten as new people surface. There is no system in place to continuously view, remember and use the many resumes that are constantly being posted.

As I continued to research the topic, I was introduced to many full-time shadchanim. I assumed this group would provide more insight into the organizational process of making matches. Unfortunately, I was let down. No matter how many single people a shadchan had in their network, whether it be 100 or 3,000, the process was at best scattered and at worst painfully inefficient. I was also informed that it is incumbent upon the single guy or girl to continuously follow up with the shadchan to keep themselves at the top of the list; otherwise, they risk being forgotten.

Several platforms for Jewish singles to create profiles and network for themselves already exist. Some platforms even include a way for a verified shadchan on the site to stay organized. However, there is no tool that is meant to help anyone and everyone—from the professional Shadchan to the single individual—who is passionate about matchmaking. The world needs a mechanism that takes the current system and makes the entire process more efficient, organized, and simply easier. This is how ZivugTech was revitalized.

Through months of networking and siyata dishmaya, I was introduced to Ephraim Arnstein, the CEO of BitBean.com, an innovative software company. Arnstein had built ZivugTech.org several years earlier with Ralph Lasry, who dreamed up the original idea. However, after several iterations, it sat there idly, used only by the few people who knew of the amazing website. I recently joined the team, implemented new ideas, and now ZivugTech has taken on a new life.

Currently used by thousands of people across the globe, ZivugTech is beginning to take root. It is not meant as a singles platform, but as a user friendly system to help anyone who possesses a desire to set up singles. The site is free and keeps profiles in your private account where you can easily record and tag specifications, filter through people, keep track of all your ideas, and create groups to share resumes. All information on the site remains private unless you choose to share it. Whether you know 10 or 10,000 people, ZivugTech.org can help you. You’ll be thankful the process has become that much better, and God willing, all of your single friends will thank you too.

Noah Isaacs lives in Fair Lawn with his wife and two daughters. He is the CIO of Astral Energy, national director of ZivugTech.org, and a part-time rebbe at TABC.