Tehillim Unity Day for matchmaking ‘challenge’ goes global
Volunteer matchmakers are organizing a worldwide unity event on July 1, 2018 to arouse Divine mercy for the shidduch crisis.
What is often referred to as the “Shidduch Crisis” has been discussed in Jewish circles for years, but few have taken direct action. “Shidduch” means “matching a young man and woman for the purpose of marriage,” and the crisis is the growing number of eligible Jewish singles who are not finding their mates.
This year, volunteer matchmakers who have seen the problem firsthand, and want to empower their communities to contribute to the solution, have stepped up to the challenge and are organizing a worldwide unity event:
On July 1, 2018 at 10 AM and again between mincha and maariv daily prayers, the same three chapters of Psalms (121, 128, and 131) will be read in synagogues, camps, yeshivas, and homes around the world to arouse Divine mercy for this issue.
Mona Schwartz, one of the event organizers, explained the call to action: “We decided not to use the word ‘crisis’ anywhere in our campaign because that implies the solution is out of our hands. Rather, it is a challenge, because a challenge can be overcome through action. Not everyone can think of the right match to help a single friend or family member. But everyone can read Psalms.”
When asked why this phenomenon has become more widespread in recent years, Schwartz opined, “We live in a society where people expect to get exactly what they think they want. They go on a date with someone who doesn’t fit their exact specifications, so they choose not to pursue it further, rather than trying to learn more about the person. It’s a society that tells us, ‘It’s not perfect right off the bat, so try the next one.’”
The Tehillim Unity day is being held on July 1, which falls on the fast day for the 17th of Tammuz, when Jews across the world will mourn the day the Roman Empire breached the walls of Jerusalem, ultimately leading to the destruction of the Second Temple and the exile of the Jewish people from the Land of Israel.
The event organizers chose a day associated with the destruction of the Temple because in Jewish tradition, anyone who brings joy to a bride and groom is considered to have contributed to the rebuilding of the Temple.