New Podcast To Help Young Jews Navigate Today’s Dating Challenges
Seeking one’s soulmate has always been an endeavor fraught with challenges. For many young Jewish professionals, today’s fast-paced and non-commital society can accentuate the difficulties. These obstacles spurred the creation of Met@Chabad by CYP International at Merkos 302, and a movement of marriage-focused dating initiatives ensued, including tens of value-based speed dating events worldwide, relationship workshops, and empowering Shluchim with the tools to help their young professionals navigate the journey.
With growth always in mind, Met@Chabad is now launching a podcast to take that guidance and support to the next level. So many young professionals have expressed that they can feel lost in the world of relationships and are looking for as much assistance as possible. While many options and platforms provide that assistance, Met@Chabad wants to provide that help from a Torah perspective.
“There are so many angles to approach with this new initiative,” says Rabbi Beryl Frankel, Director of CYP International at Merkos 302. “At the core of it all is letting these young professionals know that they are not alone in their challenges. Many people have dealt with or are currently going through the same experiences and have a lot of tools and ideas to share”.
The podcast hopes to be more than just “standard” relationship advice; it aims to be the place to turn for the Jewish method in searching for a spouse. Questions like “How do I develop the proper mindset to go out on this journey?” or “How can I learn what contributed to a relationship ending and grow from it?” are just some topics the podcast will address.
Since its launch, Met@Chabad has evolved into a key resource for young Jewish adults looking for relationship advice and matchmaking. Starting with an AI-driven matchmaking service that matched 40% of participants in its first event, it quickly saw success. From that success came a realization regarding the need to educate young Jews with Jewish perspectives on marriage. This led to the creation of “The Jewish Dating Course,” with over 1200 young adults participating and an Instagram page with millions of views and engagement.
To further support the young professionals in their journey Met@Chabad trained Shadchanim to help the young professionals isolate their fundamental values and training for Shluchim in Jewish marital customs and relationship advice, the podcast is a natural development of Met@Chabad’s educational efforts, making the expert knowledge of these experienced Shluchim and professionals accessible to the broader public.
“In the last few months we’ve been seeing an awakening amongst young Jews wanting to settle down and build Jewish homes,” says Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, executive director of Merkos 302. “The Shluchim on the ground are on the forefront, guiding them through the intricate process of self-discovery and ultimately finding their soulmates.”
Listen to the Jewish Marriage Podcast on all podcast platforms.
