Mercaz Torah U’Tefillah congregant Michelle Mond, 38, works with Jewish singles in the Baltimore community to help them find their bashert.
After growing up in Baltimore and attending Bais Yaakov of Baltimore, Mond, a Pikesville resident, became an aesthetician. While going through the shidduch system herself, she realized that there was a lack of people in the community who cared about singles.
Following her own marriage, she became a shadchan (matchmaker) to help other people find their love.
How did you get into matchmaking?
Immediately after getting married, I was very frustrated in how the shidduch system was and the dating situation for Jewish people. I felt like something needed to change. So, immediately after I got married, I started helping people with shidduchim and setting people up. Now, I’m doing shidduchim as my main thing and dating coaching. My real passion is helping the singles of the community.
Do you ever work with any organizations?
I’ve worked with Saw You at Sinai for a while. I was one of the first shadchans with The Shidduch Center of Baltimore. Now, I’m just setting people up on my own and doing dating coaching for select people who want to hire me for it.
Why do you feel it’s important?
There are so many singles in the community, and unfortunately many feel alone and left out. Everybody is kind of congregated in the tri-state area. Outside of that, people have it difficult because there’s a lot of people that move to the tri-state area.
When I was in the shidduch system, I felt like I was at the mercy of two or three people. If they didn’t set me up, then I wasn’t getting a date, and I was alone and there was no one to go to.
That’s why, when I got married, I really wanted to be on a mission to put my heart into it. I never wanted to be called a shadchan because my association with the word “shadchan” was so derogatory. It’s ironic because now I’m considered a shadchan. I always try to give everyone the best experience.
It’s all a volunteer situation. I’m not paid to set people up in any way. Obviously, if someone wants to hire me for coaching, that’s a different story. Emotional intelligence is very important when you’re talking to someone and getting to know someone and what they’re looking for and what they need.
If anybody has emotional intelligence, they can set people up. You don’t have to be an official shadchan because there’s so many people who need to find a match, and there’s not enough people looking out for them.
What would you say is special about the Baltimore Jewish community?
Baltimore is very open minded. Everyone’s there for each other in any way they can. There’s an organization for everything. People are so nice. It’s also the kind of community we have, all different types of Jews in their own ways. There’s a shul for every different type of person. It’s a really nice place.
What is one of your craziest shidduch stories?
I have a lot of crazy ones. I had a couple that had a first date, and it was a good try. They’re both good people. They told me after the fact that they were both going to say no. Out of the blue, in the car on the way home, the girl throws up all over the front of the car. The guy was the biggest mensch.
He stopped at the closest convenience store. He bought iced tea, crackers, paper towels, Windex, everything. He gave her so much empathy, and she didn’t feel bad at all about it. He made her feel so good.
When they came back from the date, they both told me separately that they wanted to go out again because of this interaction. It’s so interesting because, after that, it started going really well between them. There was no rhyme or reason for why that random act had to happen, but it changed the whole trajectory of their lives.
They’re married now. Every year, she reminds me on their anniversary. She had to throw up for Hashem to send the message that this guy is a keeper.
Shira Kramer is a freelance writer.
