Ten thousand shidduchim, ten thousand refuos and ten thousand bursts of siyata dishmaya in emunah for Klal Yisroel! This was R’ Shaya Levin’s plea to Hashem that reverberated through the overflowing crowd at the Levaya of his son and daughter-in-law to be.
A mere few hours earlier, an unfathomable tragedy befell not only two families, but impacted the entire Klal Yisroel and world at large. A young, happy, newly engaged couple, Yisroel Levin and Elisheva Kaplan, z”l, were tragically taken in a car accident on Chol Hamoed Pesach. Yet, at such a devastating and trying time, R’ Levin chose to do and say what was beyond the average person’s level of emunah and selflessness. He begged Hashem to help Klal Yisroel.
The afikomen presents that R’ Shaya pleaded for were all requested as a gift from Heaven. However, hearing the request for ten thousand shidduchim brought to mind a mashal; it is told of a man who davened all his life to win the lottery, but when the man passed away, Hashem told him that had he only bought a lottery ticket, he would have won. While only Hashem can send ten thousand shidduchim, it is incumbent upon us to do our part in trying to facilitate the yeshua and then daven to see the Yad Hashem unfold.
Thus, 10K Batay Yisroel was formed, an initiative to make, and confidentially record, ten thousand shidduch suggestions. The name 10K Batay Yisroel literally translates as “ten thousand Jewish homes,” as the goal is to build thousands of Jewish homes. It can also be written as בתי’ ישראל, in memory of the home we lost, the home of אלישבע בתי׳ and ישראל.
The goal of this project is to encourage and empower everyone, every single Jew, to make shidduch suggestions for the singles in their life, whom they know better than any shadchan can. Often, people are hesitant to suggest a shidduch as they are not a “professional” shadchan and therefore think that they shouldn’t get involved.
Ironically, many singles feel that the best shidduch ideas, more often than not, are presented to them by friends and relatives rather than “professional” shadchanim. If we overcome the barriers holding the average Jew from redting shidduchim and go beyond our “comfort zone,” if each person takes just a few minutes to think of the next, together we can change lives, improve the shidduch system at large and ultimately make the world a better place!
R’ Shaya Levin recently wrote: “When you think about it, the 10K project is changing history in Klal Yisroel. Until now, everybody relied primarily on professional shadchanim to come up with all of the suggestions to take care of all the shidduchim in Klal Yisroel. With this project, we are changing the mindset of everyone – it is up to US to think of shidduchim for our fellow Yidden. There are simply not enough professional and nonprofessional shadchanim to alleviate the backlog that has accumulated of older singles and even to deal with the current crop of new younger singles entering the parsha. We know from the Medrash in Breishis that Hashem is sitting and making shidduchim upstairs. But now thanks to this project, we have so to speak incentivized Kavyachol to make even more shidduchim because He sees all of Klal Yisroel voluntarily getting involved (sometimes out of their comfort zone) just to help out a fellow Yid. In essence you are tapping in to Hashem’s rachmonus on us because He desires so much to see us acting K’ish Echad B’lev Echad. Kol Hakavod!”
Within the first 24 hours after launching the project, 250 suggestions were made. However, beyond the numbers, the feedback was incredibly inspiring; some comments included: “Beautiful! After seeing this, we sat as a family and brainstormed. We just redt a shidduch and it’s looking good!”; “I had this idea a while ago but this made me pick up the phone and call today.”; “Even though it’s uncomfortable to suggest someone… I’m doing it for Yisroel and Eli – and for Klal Yisroel.” These comments are but a few of the encouraging and beautiful responses of everyday Jews going out of their way for the next person.
There clearly is a major motivator and burning desire in Klal Yisroel to do something leiluy nishmas Yisroel and Elisheva, and this project very much resonated with the hearts of the klal. Perhaps it’s the painful loss we feel of not seeing the chosson and kallah walk down the aisle that motivated so many to try and help others down to the chuppah and literally build homes in their z’chus. Or perhaps most people already had suggestions in mind that they were uncomfortable actually making a push for, yet this initiative encouraged them to leave their comfort zone for the next person.
The initiative began on a simple Google form. Individuals would check a box indicating that they made a suggestion, left a comment if they desired and submitted the form. When the initiative reached 700 suggestions in under two weeks it became clear that there was potential to take this project to the next level. While lacking outside funding, a lot of motivation by an incredible team facilitated a beautiful website to be formed: 10KBatayYisroel.org.
The website is now not only counting how many suggestions are made, but also how many first dates are facilitated. (B’ezras Hashem, engagements and weddings are to follow!) There is now also a form asking for some basic (confidential) information about the suggestions, which most people are happy to fill out. The information on this form is displayed on the website on the “Impact” page. One can see there how the project has impacted singles of various ages and backgrounds. In particular, a great many suggestions have been made on behalf of singles in their mid-twenties and above, which is what R’ Shaya continuously highlights to be his greatest wish.
The project is currently holding at over 1,850 shidduch suggestions logged on the website! Together, we can keep the momentum going and not only make this project a success, but create an entire movement.
The newest feature to be added to the project is the 10K~BY Group. This is focusing primarily on those who plan to spend their summer at a bungalow colony. As so many agree, there is no better time or place to collaborate on shidduch suggestions than during the summer upstate. We are looking for individuals to host a 10K~BY group at their bungalow colony and of course all will be invited to attend! Please sign up to host on the website or email [email protected]. To receive a listing of the locations and times, please sign up for updates on the 10K project via the website homepage.
Through this project, it is our fervent hope that Yisroel and Elisheva will, b’ezras Hashem, be in the foundation of thousands of homes in Klal Yisroel.
You can make a difference by going beyond your comfort zone to partake in the 10K initiative and redt a shidduch today!
Remember, Just one suggestion can help build a beautiful home and homes for generations to come.
לעילוי נשמת ישראל בן ישעי-הו הלוי ואלישבע בתי׳ בת יחיא-ל אפרים
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One Response
When we treat each other like family, like brothers and sisters, then we make Hashem our FATHER, not our KING. Thus we invoke rachamim on ourselves and on Klal Yisrael as a whole because a father will show more mercy and be less judgmental than a king. Who would not expend effort to find a shidduch for their own brother or sister? Therefore, let us all participate in this important and wonderful project to help find shidduchim for our brothers and sisters! In addition, our participation will hopefully bring some nechama to the families of Elisheva and Yisroel, which is another way that we can show Hashem that we care for each other like family.