‘Jewish Matchmaking’ star plans visit to Charlotte — and she’s sharing her secrets
Rule No. 1 for attending Aleeza Ben Shalom’s live matchmaking event at Chabad of Charlotte: You don’t have to be single.
Also known as the “Marriage Minded Mentor,” Ben Shalom hosts podcasts, writes books and travels the world, sharing her talents for the rich tradition of Jewish matchmaking. She most recently hosted Netflix’s “Jewish Matchmaking” series.
Live matchmaking is in store for Ben Shalom’s Charlotte appearance Wednesday, Sept. 6 at Chabad Center for Jewish Life. Not looking for your soulmate but still want to attend? That’s OK, too.
“I’m going to train the audience to be matchmakers,” Ben Shalom said in a video interview. “They ask the questions. I never know what they’re going to say, and it’s really fun. I’m very excited to come and play with them.”
Ben Shalom is responsible for hundreds of matches that have led to engagement and has trained hundreds of dating coaches and matchmakers worldwide. She lives in Israel with her husband, five children and dog.
Although she knew she wanted to get married and have children, Ben Shalom said she didn’t really know what she wanted to be when she grew up. In her teens and during college, she was always setting up friends, and by her mid-20s, a friend encouraged her to start her own website for matchmaking.
“I accidentally became a matchmaker,” she said.
Head over to her website, marriagemindedmentor.com and you’ll find links to coaching, dating courses, podcasts and her books, plus her list of events. Binge “Jewish Matchmaking” on Netflix and watch as Ben Shalom sets up dates in colorful locales like Miami, Los Angeles, Jerusalem and Jackson Hole, Wyoming. She interviews each single about what they’re looking for in a match.
“Finding your person is the hardest thing to do in the entire world,” Ben Shalom said in the first episode. “That’s where I come in.”
Ben Shalom said she was ready for any reaction to the eight-episode series. How would Jewish matchmaking resonate with a wider Netflix audience?
“I was ready for anything — antisemitism, death threats,” she said. “But I’ve gotten so much love. I think because it’s authentic. People come up to me and give me blessings. It’s been really special.”
And with that same humor and infectious laugh that makes her so charming on screen, she adds, “I think I’m likeable.”
The show debuted in May, and Ben Shalom hasn’t stopped to rest, traveling the world with her live show. She’s making matches across the U.S. and Australia in August and September, spending 8 to 24 hours on average in a city before jetting off to the next.
“She has a lot of charisma and a straightforward approach,” said Rabbi Levi Cohen, who was paired with his wife through a matchmaker. “It’s going to be a lot of fun and a lot of learning. We’re very much looking forward to her performance.”
So what’s next for the globe-trotting matchmaker who has everything from multiple podcasts to a hit series on Netflix?
“Since the show came out I’ve matched 600 clients, and we’re planning and plotting our next big thing,” Ben Shalom said. “This is big, big. I’d like to write a bestseller with Aleeza-isms, advice and stories, packaged so sweetly with a great title. It should be fun and playful and really a fun read.”
In the meantime, fingers crossed that “Jewish Matchmaking” is renewed for a second season — Ben Shalom is still waiting to hear. It’s filmed on a tight schedule with lots of travel, but like matchmaking, a path filled with both true love and heartbreak, it’s totally worth it.
“There’s no harder job but there’s no better job than this,” she said. “You build the match that builds the family that builds the world. It’s very empowering.”
Aleeza Ben Shalom in Charlotte
Location: Chabad Center for Jewish Life, 6619 Sardis Road, Charlotte, NC 28270
When: Wednesday, Sept. 6, 7:30-10 p.m.
Tickets: General admission tickets are $36.
The event, hosted by Chabad of Charlotte, Ballantyne Jewish Center and The Uptown Chabad, will feature Aleeza Ben Shalom live, sharing matchmaking tips. VIP experiences that include a reception, a signed book, appetizers and kosher wine are available.
This story was originally published August 31, 2023 at 6:00 AM.
