Posts Tagged ‘jewish matchmaker’

My name is Sigal. I signed up for Global Match in March of 2008. When I joined My Global Match, I was in my early 40’s and wanted to find a relationship with someone who really wanted marriage and children. I had become weary of regular internet dating sites, and was usually disappointed by the men I met. It seemed that I only met men looking for a casual experience or hook-up. I wanted something real and long-lasting. I decided to take one last chance with Ilana’s Match Making service after one of my friends was successful with My Global Match.

I took the first step and contacted Ilana and Dorit for a free consultation. I knew I had made the right decision once I stepped inside the office. Ilana explained that My Global Match is only for people who are interested in serious relationships. She does not sign up people who just want to date without any intention of becoming serious. Ilana also meets each and every client in person, which guarantees that all the information about the client is completely accurate. After the free consultation I was more than pleased and immediately signed up to meet my perfect match.

During the first month with Global Match I met 5 different men who all matched my requests, but unfortunately the chemistry was not there. I spoke with Ilana and Dorit after each date and told them my honest impressions. It was as if I quickly gained two new best friends after I signed up with My Global Match – I was speaking to either Ilana or Dorit on a weekly basis, telling them in-depth about each of the men they matched me with.

At the end of April, Dorit called and was confident that she had the right match for me.

Dorit was right. Date number 6 was love at first site when I was introduced to Yoram. The next day after the initial meeting both Yoram and I called Dorit to let her know how pleased we were and did not want to go on any other dates for now.

A few months after our first date, Yoram asked me to marry him before the year is up. Now, more than a year later we are so happy and cannot thank Global Match enough for introducing us.

Thank You Global Match….

Yoram & Sigal

I know itʼs true that 26 is still considered young and that I have the entire world before me. However, I’m not the type of woman who sits at home waiting for things to happen. When I decided a few years ago that it was time for me to meet my match and settle down, nothing could dissuade me from achieving this dream.

To give you a little history about myself; I came to the U.S after serving the Israeli Defense Forces for 2 years. When I first arrived to California, I stayed with my uncle and aunt who have lived here for more than 20 years.

My first job in the U.S. was as a waitress. This paid me enough money to rent a nice apartment with a
friend in Sherman Oaks. I settled very easily into my new city and had enough money to live comfortably. At that time I also got to know a few Israeli guys who came to eat at my restaurant.

I went out with my new friends, had fun and met my first boyfriend in the U.S. – Boaz. We were together
for two years until he decided to return to Israel for University. The separation was painful but it
was clear to me that I wanted to stay here. I also realized that I had no future with Boaz, who always
dreamed about studying medicine. He announced plain and simple that over the next decade his career
would be the number one priority for him.

After two and a half years I needed a change. I quit my restaurant job and found work as a secretary and sales
associate at a construction company. In the evening I studied Accounting and English.
I was 25 years old, made good money, loved my life in LA, but still felt lonely nevertheless. I decided it
was time to pull myself together and find a partner for life.

At first I told all my friends and relatives that if they knew a nice guy around the age of 30,
whoʼs looking for a serious relationship, they should give him my phone number.

I met several nice guys, but there was no “click”. Also, I did not like that all my friends had to know exactly
what happened with everyone I met. They always tried to convince me to give it a chance even when
I knew there wasnʼt any possibility.

Just when I thought I was running out of options, I signed up for Jdate. It was nice at first and I met lots of men. But I discovered that many of them are just looking for casual fun, and were not interested in commitment and marriage.

I decided to call Ilana Gutman of My Global Match, whose ads I had being seeing for a while.

I arranged an appointment with no obligation. I wanted to know what made her service so different from all of the other dating websites.

Ilana explained that there were countless ways and opportunities to meet “the one”. But the difference between guys who sign up for online dating and her clients is their level of seriousness and their desire to have a
family, without games or pretense. Also, there are dozens of nice people you can find online, but there
are many more crooks, liars, and even married men whoʼre just looking for an adventure.
Ilana convinced me that if a guy pays thousands of dollars to register, heʼs indeed serious about it
and wants a wife & family.

I signed up. At first I was not very pleased. In 3 months I met 12 guys. True, they were serious, they
were nice, but there was no “click” and I almost gave up. Ilana and Dorit calmed me and said I have
to be patient. Iʼll meet the right one, all I needed to do was keep dating people and believe.

Then one day Ilana called saying she had found “him”, the one of my dreams. I was very skeptical and refused to believe. But Ilana insisted that I give it my best and smile.

It happened. The date was amazing!

We didnʼt want to go home. We stayed at the restaurant until they turned down the lights. Before I got
home that night there was a message from him saying he already missed me. I felt exactly the same.

The connection between us was so strong and certain, that we didn’t wait very long before we started planning our wedding. Now, only a few years later, it is like we have known each other our entire lives.

So thank you so much Ilana and Dorit for cheering me up and for not letting me give up. I love
you both always, Peninah.

Baruch, a handsome and kind man who has worked as a carpenter all of his life, loved his wife with all his heart. He was 58 when she died.

His wife suffered from cancer for years. Although they never liked talking about it, Baruch knew the moment would come when she would leave him. The last few years of her life it weren’t easy, he had to do almost everything by himself. The sense of loneliness was terrible. After she died, coming back into an empty house was almost more than he could bear. Baruch had two married children and 5 grandchildren. Everyday he visited them after work and spent his evenings with them.

7 years of loneliness passed by, each year more difficult than the last. One day his daughter-in-law said, “Baruch you are a 65-year-old, nice and handsome man, why don’t you find yourself a life-long partner?” Baruch was very surprised and said “You really wouldn’t mind if I do?”

“Baruch, we want you to be happy” said his daughter-in-law. “We all talked about it and agreed that you can’t live by yourself anymore”. “But where can I find the right woman for me at my age?” asked Baruch. His daughter-in-law took out a paper with a “Global Match” ad and said “I have been following their ads for a long time. I’ll call for an appointment, can I enroll you?” Baruch laughed and said “You set the meeting, I can take it from there”.

All Baruch said he was looking for was a good woman. He preferred a thin Ashkenazi woman (“because they make the best food”). “I don’t like fat women” he also said. “All I want is someone nice to watch TV and have fun with”.

Miri registered to “Global Match” several months before Baruch. She was a petite and thin 60-year-old woman whose life wasn’t easy for her. She lost her husband when her children were very little. She raised them alone without any financial support. It was only when they left the house and had their own families that she finally had time for herself. We thought they could be a good match. This was Baruch’s first date and Miri’s fifth. They had a very pleasant evening together. They felt like they were old acquaintances. The next morning they both called us asking to put their membership on hold, saying that they wanted to give it a try.

They are still together ever since that call.

Shalev, an energetic salesperson, registered at “Global Match” two years ago.

Miki, a kindergarten teacher, registered with us a year ago.

Since joining My Global Match, Shalev met over 40 women. Yet almost none of them was the type he was looking for. When Miki registered and started dating, Shalev was the first she met.

The magic was there from the first moment they saw each other.

After only two dates they both called me and asked to put their service on hold because they wanted to give the new relationship a chance.

Another day Miki called. With a laughing voice she said “You told me it takes time to find the right match, and here I found him on my first date through your service. Am I really that irregular?”

Then I replied “You can ask Shalev, I’m sure he thinks you are an irregular woman”.

It took only three months for Shalev to ask Miki to marry him. You guessed right, she said yes!

It was a very large, beautiful wedding with family and friends who came to celebrate with the happy couple.

We, ilana and Dorit, wish them lots and lots of happiness, a successful marriage and many many children!

Amen.

I became widowed two years ago. My wife Yafah and I were together for over 50 years. I felt so lonely and scared when she left. I had retired only two years before her death, with the hope that we could finally begin to enjoy life and travel the world. When Yafah died I became so miserable. Every night I prayed and asked God to join her.

We had no children. Also, our good friends had become older and less social over the years. After 50 years of love and companionship, I suddenly found myself with no one to share my life with. I was lost and alone; a man without a defined place in the world.

Then one day I saw a “Global Match” ad in the newspaper. My first reaction was, “I don’t want another woman. I don’t know how to behave with a woman.” When I was young everything was different. I also assumed that there were no women who’d want a man approaching the age of 70. I disregarded the paper, but I found myself thinking constantly about how I want to find a nice woman. To travel with her, share my life with her. And most of all, I didn’t want to be so alone anymore.

It took me another two weeks and many sleepless nights before I dared to pick up the phone. It was much easier than I thought. On the phone, Dorit was so patient and funny. After we arranged a meeting at their office, I felt like was going to meet new friends, not for an intimidating interview. I wasn’t disappointed.

I met Ilana and Dorit at their warm and homey office. The conversation was filled with lots of laughter and a feeling of good friendship. We all agreed I was a complete novice in the dating area. They told me all about the process and I found out it wasn’t as bad as I thought. I was even very excited by the idea of meeting new people. My requirements were not complicated. I asked for a healthy woman age 60-70, who was in good shape, full of “Joie De Vivre”, intelligent and fun to be with.

I registered and immediately became very excited.

I dated for 5 months and met 10 women. It was difficult at first, because none of them was like my wife Yafah. But I was optimistic. I wanted to believe there was a good reason for me to live. I even could sleep at night.

Then I met Sarah. She reminded me so much of my Yafah, it was really scary. She also lost her husband for a heart disease and had spent over 10 years alone.

We talked for hours about life and being alone. About what we lost, what we lack. It didn’t take too long for us to discover that we didn’t want to say good bye.

Sarah invited me for Shabbat dinner with her children and grandchildren. I found myself surrounded by a loving family and lots of smiles and laughter. To my surprise I enjoyed every minute of it.

At the same weekend we went for a walk on the beach. For the first time I kissed another woman, not my beloved Yafah. I felt remorse, but I knew deep inside that if my beautiful Yafah up there saw me, she would wish me luck and want me to be happy.

Today Sarah and I travel the world together. There are difficult moments, but I know that life must go on. I’m glad to be part of a loving couple once again, sharing the good and bad times together as one. We know that many good years are waiting for us, together.

We thank Ilana and Dorit for supporting us all the way.

Moshe and Sarah’le.

One of the questions I am asked often by parents who care about their children’s future is, how can we help our child meet an appropriate match, even if they don’t like the idea of using a matchmaking service?

I say – first of all, are you sure you know enough about your child’s personal life to determine for sure that he/she isn’t involved emotionally with anyone they don’t want you to know about?

For example, your child might be involved with a married person,  a divorcee with children or a non-Jewish person. Or maybe your child is not into it at all because he/she is gay or lesbian.

Are you open enough with your childn to know the true reason that he or she is single? Perhaps it is not only a result of limited social life.

I ask this because on many occasions parents have registered their child to my service and when we called him or her, it turned out he or she wasn’t emotionally available at all. Moreover, she or he has long been in contact with a partner that their parents probably did not approve of or even know about.

However, if you are certain that your child is emotionally available and wants to meet someone, then it’s a perfect time to begin to “probe” what she or he thinks about dating through a matchmaking service.

You might be surprised to find out that they are happy about the idea and are willing they are to cooperate, especially when they know that you’re paying for the service, not them.

If you succeed in convincing your child to make an appointment, I will meet with them in person and explain how the matchmaking process works. I will first learn what type of people your child finds attractive and then describe what type of matches I will introduce her/him to. Once the registration interview is complete, we are set to go.

However, there are a few kids who might be offended by your suggestion to set them up on a date and might respond “what am I a cripple or disabled? Do you really think I need help?  I can find my match by myself,  I don’t need anyone’s help!”

If your child responds in this way, you can say: Thank G-d you’re not cripple or disabled, but your social networks & activities are limited around you. You are not exposed to the right people, people serious enough who are looking for marriage, not just to go out for casual dates.

If they refuse to make an appointment, which often happens, don’t mention it again to your child. Make contact with one of their good friends and tell them about your plan. Ask them to be the contact between me and your child. You’ll be surprised how easily your child will agree to go on a date with a friend’s recommendation rather than a mother’s or father’s.

If the friend is willing to cooperate, which likely happens, from that moment everything is very simple. We schedule a meeting, you bring pictures of your child and the contact number of the good friend who’s willing to help us. I tell this friend about our plan, and together we make up a “cover story” as for how to introduce a potential match to your child.

Sounds difficult to do? Maybe. But remember this: it will be much more difficult if your daughter or son stays single, or marries someone who is not suitable for them just because of the fear of staying alone.

So……..Come on parents, get to work !

Call me, I’ll be glad to meet with each of you. Together we’ll do everything we can so that next year your son or daughter will be happily married to their Jewish soulmate.

Yours Truly,
ilana Gutman

818 224 9544
818 788 8360

Yael – From Shy girl to Happy Married Woman

My Name is Yael, I’m 27 Years Old and I have a Masters Degree in Law.

I am shy and a bit insecure person. I must also admit that I never had enough self confidence.

As a child I was always my parents’ favorite. I was the smart kid that never got into troubles in school. I always had the perfect grades. I was a total nerd.

As a grown-up person, after graduating High-School, I have started to think about my goals in life. I knew I’d have an academic education. I also knew I’d find the perfect job.

But it wasn’t enough anymore. I have started to think about finding the right match.

A year ago, I found an ad on the “Living In America” magazine. It’s a magazine for Israelis in America. This ad was about “Global Match” – Matchmaking Service for Israelis living in America. So I decided to give it a try and called their office to make an appointment for a personal interview. Without any obligation on my part.

I met with Ilana Gutman. Ilana is a professional matchmaker with over 20 years of experience in this field. She told me about the whole process. I decided to sign up for the service.

I told her that I’m not the Bars/Clubs type of girl and that I’m looking for a down-to-earth type of a guy. Like me.

Prior to each date, Ilana gave me all the information I needed to know about the guy I was about to meet. What type of a guy he was, how he looked like and a bit about his personality in general. I met a few guys, but there was no chemistry. Something was still missing.

After like 2 months I went on a date with Ben. A 28 years old computer engineer, very charming, smart, loving & caring person. We liked each other from the first moment we met. We have spent a wonderful time together for 8 months. I guess it was enough for us to know that, this is it. A bit later Ben proposed and I said yes.

We both want to thank Ilana and Dorit for all the help & support, their highly Dedication & Commitment to their work.

We’ll see you at our wedding!

The story of Hanna

My name is Hanna. I became a widow when I was 55 years old, after my husband Abraham was diagnosed with cancer and passed away. We had been together all our lives. After so many years of real love & happiness, and suddenly it’s all gone – I was in total shock. Even with all the love and support from my children & grandchildren, I felt lonely and miserable. I couldn’t believe I’d ever find happiness again. The house was so empty.

Many of our friends kept inviting me to hang out with them, but it wasn’t the same. I always felt like the fifth wheel. I had to face the truth. From now on, I’m single for the rest of my life.

One day my friend Martha called. She found a very interesting ad on the local LA newspaper. This ad was about “Global Match”. My first reaction was like “are you kidding me they don’t ‘deal’ with people at my age, I’m too old ! I’m about to celebrate my 59th birthday!”.

Martha didn’t give up. “ Come on, what have you got to lose? give them a call and ask. They won’t charge you for just getting basic information, right? I’ll even join you.”

I called them. A very kind girl named Dorit was on the line. She told me about the process and recommended me to come for a personal interview.

Martha came with me to the meeting. It took us only a few minutes and we both felt very comfortable there. I had a very strong feeling I could trust them. I knew they’d make an effort to find me a mate for life.

After the interview I knew this wasn’t going to be easy though. I have never dated other people. There are so many people out there who are searching for love. But it takes some time to find the right one. And all I needed was to be patient and open-minded.

I signed up for the service and we hit the road.

I dated Israelis and Americans as well during a period of 6 months. It wasn’t easy for me. You know….after so many years not dating anyone but my husband. Here I must say that Ilana and Dorit were very supportive, they encouraged me to never give up hope. And as hard as it was, I felt that my life was about to change.

Then I met David. I knew it was different right from the start. We laughed a lot, we had a great conversation. I told him about my family and he also shared stories about his son and grandson. We instantly found a lot in common. We didn’t want the date to end.

When I came home, there was a message from David saying that he had a great time, and that he was looking forward to see me again.

We dated for a few months and had a wonderful time together. I never believed this could happen. I never believed I could love someone else but my husband. We were so happy and decided to move in together. Our kids and grand-kids are so happy for us and very supportive.

We would like to thank Ilana and Dorit for being so supportive and caring. Their dedication is very much appreciated !

We hope that other people like us would find happiness like we did.

Edan – Me? A Matchmaking Service?

I met Yael around my late 20’s. I loved her from the first moment I saw her. We dated for two years and decided it was time for us to get married and have kids. She was the love of my life. After 2 years of marriage we had our first son. A year later we had a daughter – Gabriela. We had a strong bond, great marriage & 2 wonderful children. I was simply the happiest man alive. Until that day. The day when my wife wasn’t feeling well. After running a few tests, her doctor gave us the worst news ever. My wife was diagnosed with cancer.

The next 2 years were the hardest and the saddest time of my life. After a long struggle with this horrible disease, my wife succumbed and past away.

It was very hard for me to face the reality. I was widowed, very weak and heart-broken. But I knew I had to be strong for the sake of my children.

During the 2 years after my wife’s death, all I did was taking care of my kids and be attentive to their needs. I wanted them to have a normal life despite what happened. Also, the emotional stress was too high for me to focus on my social life.

When I did start wondering what was out there for me I couldn’t even think about online dating. I wanted a woman with maternal instincts. A woman who was willing to accept my children as if they were her own. Someone who could understand what I was going through and accept me the way I am.

I never imagined myself contacting a matchmaking service, but I found myself having little time to look for a good match for myself, and I wanted to meet a woman who I could truly care about, and who could care about my children and myself.

I decided to contact Global Match, because a matchmaking service would help me find a Jewish date with a woman who knew that I had two kids, who loved children, and who could be a good match for me. It is very hard to meet good matches when you are a single father and have to dedicate a substantial time to your kids. As a single father I have to be careful of who I let into my children’s lives. When I met Ilana, I knew this was a a good decision. She worked hard to find a truly good match for me, according to my circumstances and lifestyle.

Today, I’m in a great relationship with a Kindergarten Teacher who loves kids. We have been together for 8 months. My kids have a lot of affection for her and that makes me very happy.

Thanks to Ilana and “Global Match” today I can find Love and Inner Joy in life.

My Wish List

Some of the singles I meet at the office bring a “Wish-List” in their hands. They only want a certain range of Ages & Height. They only want to meet educated people. They only want them to be financially secured with a nice car. Of course they only want him/her to be Slender & Single.

I smile at them and I tell the following story:

As a part of our service in Israel we organized Trips overseas, as well as Weekends Getaways & Trips all over the country. Everyone had a chance to get to know all the others without any pressure. There was no time limit to impress anyone, which gave them the ability to be themselves and loosen up.

Each trip or weekend ended with at least one match. Both the girl and the guy had called me to hold their membership service. They liked each other and wanted to see where it was going.

One day Rina called. She was a customer for over a year then, asking me to hold her service because she met David. They like each other, they want to see where it goes.

I started laughing and said: ”I could have introduced you to this guy a year ago !”

Then Rina said: ”So why didn’t you ?”

I replied :”You wanted only Ashkenazi, he’s Sepharadic. You wanted only Single, he’s Divorced. You wanted only Educated, he’s an Electrician”.

Then Rina said: ”I guess I’m really stupid, right ?”

Then I said :”My dear, There are no rules for falling in love. You have to open your heart and mind. When you fall for someone you compromise on so many things. The beauty in this is, when you’re in love you don’t even know you compromised.

The best example here is my mother. A widow with 4 kids and no money, who eventually got married with a single man who fell in love with her and gave up on having his own children. This man accepted my mother with 4 kids, loved us as if we were his own, and that’s how we treat him in return.

Do you really think that a single man who’s looking for marriage, would have put “Widow with 4 kids” in his “Wish-List” ? I don’t think so.

When people meet and fall in love, anything is possible and the sky’s the limit.

So when you put “Only Young & Single” in a “Wish-List”, you’re probably missing your Soul-Mate.

I’ll be the first one to say that there are certain things you can’t and won’t compromise on. Like if the person is violent or cheap or generally a bad person. Or if you feel you can’t open your heart and tell him/her what’s on your mind. Or if the person is indecent, disloyal or even just lazy (in terms of work).

But come on guys, if he/she is a little bit older, or if he/she is 1 or 2 sizes more than the average. Do you really think that’s what will stop you from being happy with this person ??

Think about it. Call me with an open mind and no “Wish-List”.

Yours,
ilana