Florida Shluchim Collaborate for Unique Shidduch Event

Marriage-minded young Jewish professionals will gather this week for a first-of-its-kind event on Florida’s West Coast. The event will use cutting-edge technology to pair young Chabad House Jews with potential soulmates and feature guidance from acclaimed Shadchan and Shluchah Mrs. Chani Lebovics.

While Florida is home to over 700,000 Jews, the community is largely concentrated in the south of the State. Cities such as St. Petersburg and Sarasota however, host smaller Jewish populations. Local Chabad Young Professionals centers provide consistent programs and events for their niche communities including Shabbos meals, classes, and networking events. For young Jewish singles looking to establish a Jewish home with a like-minded partner, however, options can seem limited.

Spearheaded by Rabbi Mendel Lebovics, of CYP St Petersburg, and hosted by Rabbi Mendy Dubrowski of CYP Tampa,  this innovative event aims to change the game. A grand collaboration of local Shluchim including 5 dedicated CYP shluchim,  each Shliach’s networks of young Jewish professionals, Met@Chabad’s technological know-how, and a shared vision to create many more Jewish marriages has resulted in a creative event to take place in mid-November.

“We see the need is there,” says Rabbi Lebovics. “Young Jews in small Jewish communities have made clear to their communal leaders want to marry Jewish, but the local network alone just isn’t enough. When we collaborate with other shluchim as a region, we’re helping singles broaden their circles and find someone who shares their vision. The infrastructure and technology from Met@Chabad has been key to getting this off the ground.”

While Met@Chabad hosts monthly virtual speed dating events, long-distance dating isn’t for everyone. Regional in-person events such as these are designed to bridge that gap. Conveniently located in Tampa, attendees will travel only an hour or two to join the evening. Similar events have been taking place in collaboration with Shluchim across the globe and are coming up in Los Angeles and Canada, expanding dating opportunities for marriage-minded young professionals internationally.

Met@Chabad’s Event approach goes beyond typical matchmaking. Each attendee, after verifying their halachic Jewish status, completes a thorough personality and values questionnaire, designed to find their most compatible match in the room. The “matchbox” system, based on research from Stanford University, curates matches before the event, giving participants confidence that their connections are meaningful. The evening begins with casual mingling before matched pairs are subtly introduced, allowing natural social connections to develop without pressure.

For Rabbi Mendy Dubrowski and the other Shluchim involved, this collaboration is about more than just expanding Jewish dating options. “At the end of the day, it’s also about creating deeper connections for young Jews with their local communities. It brings them closer to their Jewish identity, their peers, and the Chabad centers they call home,” Rabbi Dubrowski added.

The event will also include an address from acclaimed shadchan Mrs Chani Lebovics, presenting the Torah-true approach to marriage-focused, healthy dating. Drawing from her decades of experience in the world of Shidduchim, presenting Judaism’s uniquely beautiful approach to dating.

“In the aftermath of October 7th, many young Jews have been committed to building Jewish families more than ever before,” says Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Executive Director of Merkos 302. “Shluchim worldwide have been on the frontlines of this awakening of Jewish identity and practice and we aim to support the Shluchim in their critical role in every way we can.” 

To host an event for your community or any other inquiries reach out to https://www.metatchabad.com/ 1-347-770-2890 

Participating Communities:
CYP Sarasota, CYP Orlando, YJP Pinellas County, CYP Tampa, CYP St Petersburg, and numerous other local Chabad House community members.