By: Shimmy Blum

Boro Park. Flatbush. Williamsburg. Far Rockaway/Five Towns. Lakewood. Monsey. Baltimore. Waterbury. Los Angeles. Tennessee. Canada. England. Switzerland.

These are just some of the areas from where men and/or women came in order to join the historic Bayis Shaini double shidduch event, which was held on Sunday at Anshe Sfard Hall in Brooklyn.

In total, over 300 men and women (separate hours) participated. The event was devoted to previously married individuals, and singles who are open to date someone who has been previously married. Never before has a shidduch event nearly as large and diverse as this been held for previously married individuals. Bayis Shaini is the sole frum organization in North America that is devoted exclusively to this area. The Brooklyn event follows the inaugural Bayis Shaini double shidduch event, which was held in Monsey in May.

“I was totally floored,” admits shadchan Tzodek Katz, one of the nearly fifty respected shadchanim who attended. “This opens an entirely new world.”

Despite the fact that most participants at Sunday’s event dealt with difficult circumstances – divorce or loss of a spouse R”l – the atmosphere was distinctly positive and upbeat. The setting was upscale, warm and exceptionally well organized. Attendees were overwhelmingly young – in their 20s and 30s – and looking forward to building a beautiful second home, b’ezras Hashem.

The shadchanim were male and female professionals from across the tri-state area – heimish, litvish, chassidish and everything in between – and were seated at tables in groups of four. Each attendee had the opportunity to personally meet two groups of shadchanim, of their choice, for several minutes each.

Attendees submitted their resume’s to each shadchan they spoke to, as well as to each shadchan at the event that they were not able to sit down with. Attendees also had the option of submitting their resume’s to the central Bayis Shaini office. These resumes will be entered into the organization’s custom designed computerized database. A special group of shadchanim have access to the database and have committed to work on shidduchim for everyone entered into it, under strict confidentiality guidelines.

With a fast growing database and shadchan network, and two highly successful shidduch events under its belt, Bayis Shaini is helping previously married individuals and many older singles at previously unimaginable levels. Several shidduchim have already been successfully finalized due to the program, and many more are in the works.

Bayis Shaini askanim are now working on setting up a full-time office for the organization to handle the steady stream of men and women looking for help. There will also iy”H be a follow up double shidduch event in Lakewood within the upcoming months, with details to be announced. Already, several dozen men and women who could not be accommodated at Sunday’s event have expressed their desire to attend a subsequent event.

The reality for the singles who attended is strikingly more hopeful. “Many singles who attended have already been followed up with and dates have been set up,” relates Mrs. Tzipora Kloc, one of the shadchanim. “I feel honored to have been a part of this.”

For more information, please email [email protected]. Look out for updates about future programs and events in the months ahead!