A Milestone 12,000 Signups Reached Ahead of Historic Event

Across more than 1,000 Chabad House communities worldwide, shluchim are actively recruiting local singles through calls and messages, encouraging participation in a matchmaking initiative that has now exceeded 12,000 signups ahead of a global dating event scheduled for August 9.

The program will bring together singles from more than 30 countries for nine-minute video dates, with each participant meeting five potential matches. A local rabbi vets every participant.

"The Rebbe charged us to reach every Jew and use every tool to help build the next generation," Said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302. "Technology can help people find each other. Shluchim bring the trust, care and support that help those connections grow."

The initiative launched in June 2021 after about 50 shluchim serving young professionals gathered in Stamford, Connecticut, for their annual meeting. All were fielding the same question from community members: where Jewish singles seeking marriage could connect.

The resulting system centers on local Chabad Centers. Singles create profiles outlining their values, Jewish observance, and family goals. A local shliach or shlucha verifies each person's identity, and shluchim work with matchmakers to validate algorithm suggestions against real-world compatibility.

"Today's young Jews are looking for more than another dating app," Said Rabbi Beryl Frankel, director of Chabad Young Professionals International. "After everything happening in the world, many want someone who understands them, shares their values and wants to build a Jewish home."

The platform employs matching technology developed with input from Yale researchers, but human connection remains central. Shluchim encourage participation from their own communities and coordinate with counterparts in other cities and countries when matches span distances.

Since 2021, the network has resulted in more than 23 engagements and marriages, often between people living far apart initially.

"Each signup starts with a real conversation," Said Dassi Gansburg, who leads Met@Chabad. "A shliach knows the person behind the profile. If a match lives elsewhere, another Shliach can step in. That gives both people support from the first call onward."

"Technology can point to a strong match," Gansburg added. "But people still need someone who knows them, follows up and can guide them."

Registration remains open at metatchabad.com.