Writer’s Note: This event is now a solidarity gathering for Israel. In a statement, Rabbi Sholom Ber Rodal, CMO Hollywood Hills West and Chabad Young Professionals HollyWood Hills said, “With what’s going on in Israel, we were ready to cancel our planned Aleeza Ben Shalom Live Jewish Matchmaking event this Sunday. However, after consultation with numerous community members and leaders, we have chosen to stand together in unity and solidarity with Israel by moving forward with this event. This event will combine support and prayers for our besieged brethren in the holy land, with Aleeza’s unique ability to make Shidduchim and Jewish matches materialize and marital harmony to be more vibrant.”
Aleeza Ben Shalom echoed a similar sentiment: “World peace begins at home. Now, more than ever, we need to bring more singles together to build the next generation and spread a blanket of peace over the world.”
She gained notoriety for her catchphrases like “date ’em till you hate ’em” and “when in doubt, go out.” She positively portrayed Orthodox Judaism on television. And now, she’s making her LA debut.
Aleeza Ben Shalom, star of Netflix’s hit show “Jewish Matchmaking,” is going to be appearing at Neman Hall & Sapper Hall in West Hollywood on Sunday, October 15, where she will share advice and wisdom on how to get married – and stay happily married. On her show, she met with a number of Jewish singles in Los Angeles and tried to help them find their soul mates.
“I love the people of Los Angeles,” Ben Shalom said. “I love how warm, laid-back, friendly and easygoing they are.”
The event, which is co-sponsored by Met at Chabad, Chabad Young Professionals and YP Beth Jacob, is going to include the conversation with Ben Shalom as well as a VIP meet and greet and appetizers and drinks. Tickets start at $54 and got up to $1,800 for sponsorships.
Rabbi Sholom Ber Rodal, who organized the event, is the LA director of Met at Chabad, a team of matchmakers and rabbis and rebbetzins who provide matchmaking services to Jewish singles.
“This event will help catapult and create more Jewish shidduchim (matches) and marriages,” said Rodal. “Aleeza has traveled around the globe and spoken to tens of thousands of participants of all ages, streams and backgrounds while garnering rave reviews and facilitating a number of successful matches and dates.”
“This event will help catapult and create more Jewish shidduchim (matches) and marriages.” – Rabbi Sholom Ber Rodal
LA is just one stop on Ben Shalom’s busy schedule. Since “Jewish Matchmaking” debuted this past May, she’s been speaking at Jewish organizations and meeting with singles around the world. Aside from LA, upcoming events include a Soulmates at Sea kosher cruise that’s going from Haifa to Cyrpus and Greece, as well as live appearances in Pittsburgh, Boca Raton and Washington, D.C. While she’s on tour, her husband of 20 years, Gershon, stays at home in Israel and takes care of their five children.
“My husband has been lovingly holding down the fort,” Ben Shalom said. “It’s the biggest blessing to have the ability to build my own family and at the same time help other people build their own families.”
“Jewish Matchmaking” was a hit among Jews, as well as non-Jews, who learned about how traditional Jewish matchmaking works in the modern world. The show featured a variety of Jewish people, including those who were secular and Orthodox, and was touted as groundbreaking for positively portraying Orthodox Judaism on television. Ben Shalom helped singles with sensitivity and understanding, never judging them, and she didn’t shy away from expressing her Orthodox Jewish values at the same time.
“Aleeza is true to authentic Jewish and traditional values, while using very adeptly the modern mediums of media and entertainment to get her message across the spectrum of the Jewish community very successfully and effectively,” said Rodal.
According to the rabbi, the LA appearance will be “a can’t miss event” for singles, and married couples who want to learn the secrets on how to stay happy with their spouses.
“This is a great opportunity for us to showcase a top-notch Jewish presenter and entertainer that has Hollywood and media brand name recognition,” he said. “Aleeza knows how to influence and motivate her audience to find their soulmate and improve their marital harmony and relationships.”
For Ben Shalom, matchmaking is not just a job – it’s a higher calling and her personal mission in life.
“Thankfully, I’m able to do what I love and change the world in a seriously meaningful way,” she said. “I absolutely love it.”
Tickets for this event are available on Eventbrite.
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