Friday morning at CYP Encounter began with history in the making: the world’s largest in-person Jewish speed dating event.

Five hundred young Jews filled Oholei Torah hall on Eastern Parkway to make history at the Met@Chabad matchmaking marathon, a structured, values-based experience designed for real connection rather than swiping. Rebbetzin Hindel Swerdlov, a dating coach and teacher of Chassidic philosophy at Mayanot Women’s Yeshiva College in Jerusalem, led participants through the thoughtfully timed conversations.

“Now more than ever, young Jews are reassessing their life priorities and stepping up in their search for a partner to build a Jewish home with,” said Rabbi Mendy Kotlarsky, Chairman of CYP International. “Our goal is to provide them with the direction, tools, and opportunities to find their soulmates in effective and meaningful ways.”

For Sophia Beyda, a software engineer at Amazon from Boston, the weekend is about more than meeting someone; it’s about values. “I want to find my husband, which is a big part,” she said.  “But being a mother will one day be the greatest thing I can do, and the more I’m able to learn now, the more I can set them up for success.”

Beyda, who served as CTeen president in high school and Chabad on campus president at Penn State, described how a personal crisis in her teens—her mother’s breast cancer diagnosis—led her to briefly explore Christianity before a patient Rebbetzin guided her back to Torah study. “Since then, it’s been a really important part of my life to find meaning and grounding,” she said. “These positive Jewish experiences over the weekend will help lay the foundation for the experiences and events I want to create back home.”

After the speed dating wrapped up, participants fanned out across Crown Heights for educational walking tours showcasing the traditions and institutions that make the neighborhood the heart of Chabad life. Stops included the Rebbe’s Office at 770, Machon Stam for a behind-the-scenes look at how a sofer crafts mezuzahs and tefillin, Mei Chaya Mushka Mikvah for an introduction to the laws of family purity, Zlata’s Wigs, and Primo Hatters.

For many young professionals, it was their first time seeing these traditions up close—experiences that brought textual concepts to life in vivid, tangible ways.

“I want to feel inspired to continue making spaces for other people and learning more so that I can share more,” Beyda said. “Learn Aleph, Teach Aleph.”

Photos: Shmuel Rosenblatt / Itzik Belenitzki – CYP