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Press Releases » Food For Thought: Rabbis Deem Matchmaking Web Site Kosher

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.”

About SawYouAtSinai

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.