A chance to meet that special person
Debbie Katz never tires of her volunteer work as a Shadchan…a Jewish matchmaker.
Debbie Katz
She has been a matchmaker and event coordinator for over 30 years in Sydney.
Debbie told J-Wire: “I began by inviting single Jewish people to my apartment and provided them with a home-cooked kosher meal. The system I used was to have the 30s – 40s on the first Friday night of the month. On the second Friday night, I hosted the 40s – 50s and on the third Friday night, I organised 50s and above.
I became swamped with attendees and started to develop a waiting list. My apartment could not hold the number of people who requested to come and it hurt me to turn them away so I decided to hold single Jewish functions in synagogue halls.
She used the facilities at the South Head Synagogue and Central Synagogue in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.
Once again, the numbers grew and she reverted to turning away would-be guests.
She continued: “In 2010 I organised the first national Jewish singles weekend in Melbourne. Three hundred people attended the event. So the following year I did another national Jewish singles weekend in Sydney. And once again I was overwhelmed by the number of people who registered for the weekend.
My aim is to not only help Jewish singles meet their match but I am trying to combat intermarriage which is at a record high.”
COVID sabotaged Debbie’s events so Jewish singles so she was unable to stage an event for two years.
She said: “Now, that we have our freedom back I have decided to take the initiative to put on another event.
I’m running this event because I’ve had so many desperate single Jewish people ringing me asking if I knew of someone to introduce them to.
But what “tipped the scales”, was when a gorgeous Jewish lady in another state was dating a non-Jew because she couldn’t find a Jewish man.
Her brother had heard about me as a shadchan and approached me in a synagogue begging me to find a Jewish man for his sister.
After I made contact with her and received some photos I was shocked. Here was a beautiful professional Jewish lady dating ‘out of the fold’. I contacted another shadchan as I work with shadchans all around Australia in this lady’s state and together we found this lady two men.
Thankfully, this lovely Jewish lady is currently being pursued by one of these men.”
With the support of Rabbi Eli Feldman, Debbie is organising a “High Tea at Newtown” for the 40s -60s on July 24 at the Newtown Synagogue
For those interested, email Debbie at [email protected]
This is a much-needed service for which I commend Debbie Katz. However, the way in which dating the Muslim man is referred to is disquieting to say the least. The Jewish woman is made to sound desperate (looking for any man) and the Muslim man made to sound almost ‘untouchable’. Surely, the qualities of a person of whatever ethnicity or belief is foremost in importance. I see Debbie K. is trying to combat intermarriage. I can assure her that intermarriage does not necessarily mean the death of Judaism, or, if a Jew is secular, the death of identity. You do not need marriage to define who you are.