Another 4 year old post: In response to all the angry mail I had gotten when I originally posted my rant bashing shadchanim on Craigslist, I wrote them a tribute, this was the second post ever put up on Frum Satire.
A tribute to shadchunim:
Have you ever tried to set up a 19 year old girl, who only wants a guy that wears a size 6 yarmulke, wont eat white meat chicken, and wants a TV in the house but only hidden in the bedroom so no one will know? I think not.
How about the fat dude that only wants a barbi doll and wont even try to go out with anyone who may be a size two instead of zero?
As I thought, none of you complaining bemoaning singles have to deal with this crap day in and day out, sucking down Starbucks frapachinos as you sit in front of your blinking excel spreadsheet trying desperately to help these singles. Cast down in society these singles seek respite from round robin seating and trivial pursuit ice breakers at dilapidated hotels in the Catskills. No more shall we have to suffer through barely cooked food at the homowack and sit through conferences on how to find our basheret, no more will I attend a shuir on meeting my soul mate at shul.
No, we decide to put our burden on the backs of those few great Jews willing to lend a hand, willing to deal with fat guys who want beauties or girls who want a specific yarmulke size. Instead we feel that a free service available to almost every yid is the to go. We never appreciate the behind the scenes Shidduch meetings in Detroit, Monsey, and Baltimore. We judge and decide it is their fault for setting us up with the wrong girl. Rather than a thank you for your FREE service- we complain and say What the heck were you thinking? I was thinking you’re a fat slob who wants a barbi doll and wont admit it so you blame me- no they respond with kind caring words of encouragement and try and sort out the situation.
To some, shadchanim are the closest thing to the devil, besides for Charlie Daniels. How can she ask me that? That’s none of her business. Oh why do they have to be so nosy? Nosy- do you want to role over one morning and see your husbands sex offender tag blinking in the morning light the day after your wedding? Do you want to find out that your tofu eating, tree hugging, Dead Head self is married to a gun toting Bush supporter? Prying is the job of the shadchun- they do all the hard stuff for you.
Instead of your heart stuck in your throat every time you approach that cutie munching on kishke at some shul on the upper west side- the shadchan does it. Next time you eat at a meal and cannot muster the guts to approach that super hot dude who just said that dreamy dvar torah- remember the shadchans around the world who single-handedly support Starbucks and pepridge farm (in hindsight I realize both these products are not cholov yisroel, so substitute them with liebers brand products)- approaching all those unapproachable ben-torah’s for you.
Jeez the free food should be enough to thank the shadchan for- that piece of sushi you just savored- and the fact you could escape from talking for 4 minutes, should be some of the first things you tell the shadchan after your date. For the guys out there- how about the ability for all those onlookers to say “man I wish I had someone to talk to tonight”. Always start with the good for the shadchan, I do, well she was rockin- I just wasn’t attracted- why all the strife? Don’t start yelling at this caffeine laden woman for wasting your time. She just spent all her free time on YOU. Now suck it up and be a mentch.
And any time you realize you don’t know how to talk to a boy or girl, any time you feel a little afraid and wary of this alien creature, thank the shadchan and the rabbi.
They’re the ones who’ve stolen your birthright as a functional adult man or woman. They’re the ones who have made you and the rest of Orthodox Jews permanent children.
A. Nuran, there are many people who feel the same and they are not necessarily Jewish! I am not trying to be argumentative, but feelings of alienation, shyness, awkwardness & clueless mishap in interacting with the opposite sex … these are NOT exclusively frum Jewish feelings. :^D
Fair enough. The difference is that among the frum everyone is crippled by his or her upbringing. What is a sometimes problem for many becomes a lifetime one for all. That’s just not healthy.
speak for yourself :-/
Social skills are learned. If you are never permitted to practice you will never learn. Courtship and relations with the opposite gender are learned. If a bunch of neurotic superstitious control freaks keep you from interacting in that way you will never learn.
The sick and perverted “traditions” which Haredism has created in the past few decades prevent people from ever learning these skills. That’s what they’re explicitly designed to do.
Mr. A Nuran, Your analysis is on the mark and completetly accurate.
Well said , my man
Does anyone have anything positive to say about Matty Sod from Lawrence, NY or Chana Rose from Flatbush. I have heard very mixed reviews about them as Shadchanim and their tactics. I think a post of manipulative, pushy shadchanim would be helpful to warn sincere people trying to find their matches.
Oh, Sam, Sam. Matty Sod here. Looks like I must have made it to the big time with my name being mentioned in one of Heshy Fried’s articles. Well, in a comment actually, but still… All kidding aside, I have b”h been zoche to make many shidduchim. I believe Mrs. Rose has made even more, as she has been doing this for longer than I have. I really don’t know what “tactics” you’re talking about here. I deal mainly with the young, yeshivish crowd and here is my tactic: Give the girl’s information to the boy’s mother. Ask her to please get back to me on whether or not the boy’s side is interested. If they are, repeat the process with the girl’s mother. In these circles, boys do not call girls directly, the shadchan sets up the date and keeps doing so till the couple may or may not decide to “drop the shadchan.” I did not invent this system, nor did I myself grow up with it. There are many flaws in the system, but this is the way this particular segment of the orthodox world seems to want to operate. I try to be as nice as I can to anyone who calls me, whether it’s at 7 a.m. or midnight, and always b”n try to return calls. I know how nerve-wracking it is to call shadchanim. If you feel I have offended you personally in any way, please feel free to contact me directly. Much hatslacha finding your bashert!
Well said Mrs. Sod! I can personally vouch for the the kindness, honesty and the lack of pushiness in Mrs. Sod’s methods.