[COMMUNICATED CONTENT] It began as an idea of a frustrated Brooklyn entrepreneur who was tired of the dating scene and began to wonder if he could use his online business acumen to somehow create a unique situation for Jewish singles worldwide. Why couldn’t there be a full featured, marriage minded dating site that catered to Jews from all across the religious spectrum?
Why couldn’t there be a dating site that respected the privacy and individuality of its members, offering them not only safe, secure communication but also hand screened each and every potential candidate? Why couldn’t there be a dating website that used more sophisticated algorithms to ensure better matches?

The answer, according to Eli Ostreicher, was very simple. There could be. And so began the creation of Harei At, a revolutionary new website that was three years and thousands upon thousands of hours in the making. Joining forces with Paul Ostering and another longtime friend, Ostreicher set out to create an uncluttered, uncomplicated dating website that would cater to marriage minded Jewish singles of all ages and would offer them a veritable smorgasbord of useful features. While the concept of Jewish online dating isn’t new, Harei At takes the dating experience to a whole new level.

“We are truly one of a kind,” explained Ostreicher. “Harei At is easy to use and is literally foolproof. Even someone who isn’t computer savvy will have no problem navigating the site. Additionally, as a strictly marriage minded website, we have zero tolerance for anything that is remotely inappropriate, not only giving our users a sense of security but also keeping Harei At a high end and classy site.” Finding a match at Harei At is a quick and easy process as members are encouraged to be as specific as possible, both in filling out their own profiles and in selecting search criteria in what is termed the “Beshert Search.” Members specify what level of religious observance best suits their needs, age range, location, whether or not they have a preference for someone who has never been previously married, what ethnic background they feel would appeal to them most and any foreign language requests. Members can also specify a particular level of secular education, their preference for a smoker versus a non-smoker, a height range and a general physical description for their potential match. While photographs are not required, Harei At does advise users that profiles with pictures are five times more likely to be viewed than those that do not have an accompanying photograph.

Communicating with potential dates at Harei At is a quick and intuitive process and members can send messages to each other from their own personal message center. For those who can’t quite find the right words to break the ice when sending an initial message, a ping feature gives users a choice of several pre-written messages, completely eliminating that awkward introductory moment and offering choices ranging from the humorous to the straightforward. Members have the option of conversing with each other via an instant message feature and should both parties be ready for an actual phone call but aren’t quite prepared to exchange phone numbers, Harei At offers a unique secure phone call feature, connecting the members without actually disclosing their personal phone numbers. There is a strong sense of community within Harei At, from the friendly, newsy and often humorous posts on their Facebook page to the Dating Center which offers dating advice, news of upcoming events and webinars and even proposal ideas. Harei At’s three humorous YouTube proposal videos all became overnight sensations and clearly tell potential members that the site is both very current and very in touch with today’s singles. “Online dating used to be considered very cliche in the Jewish world and even though so many singles do take advantage of online dating sites, it was generally not something that people were willing to share with the general public,” explained Ostreicher. “But this is 2013, and we are a society that embraces technology so thoroughly in every aspect of our lives. What reason could there possibly be to not incorporate technology into the world of dating? These videos were intended to up the cool factor of online dating and judging by viewer response since their release, as well as our increased membership, they have been very successful.”Harei At has been winning accolades from singles worldwide, not only in the New York metropolitan area but also from as far away as Buenos Aires, Antwerp, Tel Aviv and Sydney. With hundreds of dates, as well as four engagements to its credit in just five short months, the site shows no signs of slowing down.”The feedback from our members has been incredibly overwhelming,” reported Ostreicher.
In an effort to become the flagship of Jewish online dating, Harei At continues to improve its site and several updates to the site are being rolled out in the very near future, which will include improvements to photograph management, secure messaging, profile display and editing, user communications and the Beshert Search.

“Our goal is to be a Jewish dating site, yet on the same level as the biggest names in the business including eHarmony and Match.com,” said Ostreicher. “In addition to our full team of designers, marketers and administrators, we have three full time developers who literally spend all day, every day, focusing on improving Harei At. We intend to keep on growing and keep on improving and providing the best possible site for our users so that one day soon, they too can become another Harei At success story.”

To experience the new face of online dating, visit Harei At online at www.hareiat.com