SawYouAtSinai.com Receives Endorsement from Prominent Orthodox Rabbis at the Rabbinical
Council of America, Yeshiva University and Young Israel
New York, NY, May 28, 2004 -- Sawyouatsinai.com, the first online dating site to
connect Jewish singles with certified matchmakers, announced today that it has been
sanctioned by esteemed local rabbis. Among those to approve the site are communal
leaders and heads of organizations representative of the Orthodox Jewish community.
The Rabbis declared the use of SawYouAtSinai: “as a ‘halachicly’ permissible way
for people to find their match.” Furthermore they agreed on the following: “The
site, SawYouAtSinai, fosters an environment that is tailored for people who are
serious about getting married. Members are asked to complete questions that are
insightful, comprehensive and that address potential religious concerns. People
are encouraged to sign-up and use this online system as a tool to help them in their
search for a lifelong partner.”
SawYouAtSinai interfaces singles and matchmakers for a more private and screened
online dating experience. Matchmakers, who are required to provide references that
are reviewed by the SawYouAtSinai staff prior to their admission into the network,
can only make a match with the consent of both parties. In addition, only a potential
match suggested by the matchmaker can see the other member’s profile and singles
have the option of sharing their picture with a potential match or just with matchmakers.
The SawYouAtSinai network platform ensures that matchmakers are connecting members
based on detailed profile preferences such as age range, religious level, location
and personality. Today’s announcement is significant for members who are meticulous
about maintaining conduct consistent with Torah ethics, assuaging any concerns regarding
the appropriateness of this method of online dating.
The Rabbis who reviewed SawyouatSinai.com and declared it as a positive medium for
finding one’s “bashert” (Hebrew for “intended”) are: Rabbi Kenneth Auman, President
of the Rabbinical Council of America (RCA), Rabbi Hershel Billet of Young Israel
of Woodmere, Rabbi Shmuel Goldin of Congregation Ahavath Torah of Englewood, Rabbi
Basil Herrig, Executive Vice President of the RCA, Rabbi Eitan Meyer of The Jewish
Center of Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Rabbi Hershel Schachter, Rosh Yeshiva at
Yeshiva University of New York, Rabbi Allen Schwartz of Ohab Zedek on Manhattan’s
Upper West Side, Rabbi Mark Wildes, Founder & Director of Manhattan Jewish Experience
(MJE), and Rabbi Mordechai Willig, Rosh Yeshiva at Yeshiva University and Rabbi
of Young Israel of South Riverdale.
According to Rabbi Herschel Billet, former RCA President and current Rabbi of Young
Israel of Woodmere, “SawYouAtSinai provides elucidation for the Torah abiding single
of the technological age.” He adds: “For religious Jews who consistently abide to
a stringent level of modesty, the Internet-matchmaker combination bridges the gap
between a traditional private approach and a popular modern trend that is widely
gaining acceptance.”
SawYouAtSinai.com is the brainchild of Marc Goldmann, a 35 year old management consultant
and entrepreneur who saw the need for a more private and screened approach to online
dating in the Jewish community. The Rabbinic-endorsed Jewish matchmaking site is
the only one that allows Conservative, Conservadox, Modern Orthodox and Yeshivish/
Black Hat singles to select a matchmaker as their own personal agent to finding
the right match. SawYouAtSinai.com operates on a highly specialized platform for
determining compatibility of members through a combination of personal input from
the matchmaker, matching criteria put into the system by members, and comprehensive
information about the potential match. Since it began running in November of 2003,
the site has accrued 4000 members, 100 matchmakers and has 5 matched couples to
its credit.
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