There is no Shidduch crisis- we have a "Shadchanim Crisis"

Submitted via comment on this post.
I have been following what is called "The Shidduch Crisis" for some years now. Many rivers of ink - or petabytes of data - were expended on the seemingly endless torrent of coverage. 
What most commentators are missing is the key component or, in this case the main proponent of the solution: the Shadchan. 
You see, we traditional Jews have been using the services of a Shadchan for thousands of years, making him or her an inseparable part of every Shidduch.
The Shadchan was a person who would know everything about everyone in town, going back three generations (or more) and has the same information for any hamlet, town or city within a ten mile radius, in all directions.
"The great-grandmother of the girl was once caught talking in Shul before Chazzoras haShatz!" is just one example of how the Shadchan could nudge a hesitant prospective Machatenista in the direction that he set for her daughter.
All this has changed, now that the community lives in large cities and a large percentage of Shidduchim happen with out of Towner’s, who live in a similar setting. The all-knowing, all-powerful Shadchan is an endangered species, as the new generation has grown to such proportions

Video: Bobover Rebbe from NY ten hour trip to EY to partake in nieces wedding

חתונת באבוב ויזניץ

$10,000 for a succesfull shidduch match- Eisheslapidus.com

After hearing the cries and desperate pleas of thousands of Bnos Yisroel and their parents, Reb Shlomo Yehuda Rechnitz decided to transform his frustration into action. He founded Eishes Lapidus which not only hired 5 full time shadchanim who deal exclusively with older singles, he also started mentoring and counseling programs for older singles dealing with the overwhelming burden of shidduchim. Additionally, in order to incentivize people to work on shidduchim for older girls, he offered supplement shadchanus of $10,000 for anyone who is zoche to make a shidduch of a girl over the age of 25 and the boy is the same age or younger than her. It is our hope, that every older single who had to endure this nisayon, will find her zivug b’karov.

 ELIGIBILITY FOR 10,000 GRANT: If the shadchan sets up a couple who gets married, and IF they meet the criteria below,

Guide to chodosh 5775- updated edition

Miracle- Rav Chaim Kanievsky saves Brothers life as 4 brothers hold lottery to donate kidney to sister

Rav Chaim Kanievsky

4 brothers who were a suitable match for a Kidney, went to the home of rav Chaim Kanievsky and held a lottery on who should donate a kidney to their ailing sister. The youngest of the brothers won the lottery yet he did not want to donate his kidney and was nervous about undergoing the procedure. Rav Chaim kanievsky insisted that he go through with it and told him it would be good for your health. The following Sunday a few days before chanukah 5775 the brother and sister both went into surgery for the kidney transplant. When the doctors removed the Kidney from the brother, they discovered a tumor underneath the kidney which they would not have noticed had they not removed the kidney.

Nittle nacht in Chabad

Young and old spent nittel nacht on the eve of the 25th of December in the main shul of 770 Eastern Parkway with the seforim closed and the chess boards out.  collive.com more pics HERE. Other Chasidic courts observe Nittle on the eve of January 6th. 
From Hirhurim- The most predominant and logical of explanations for the origin of Nittel Nacht customs, namely, the abandonment of Torah study and the closure of batei midrash on Christmas Eve was in fear of possible pogroms. It was common in the Middle-Ages for the Christians to unleash pogroms in honor of their holidays. By forbidding Torah study there was essentially no reason for anyone to leave their homes on Christmas Eve.

Tefillah for Shidduchim and Parnasah on Zos Chanukah

President Obama talks about Pidyon Shevoyim at whitehouse chanuka party

Maariv @ the whitehouse

Rabbis Zwiebel & Wieder at white-house

At the first of two Chanukah parties hosted by the first family at the white house, the president opened his remarks on the release of  Alan gross a Jewish American held captive in Cuba. President Obama said that he was makayem the mitzva of Pidyon Shevuyim on Chanukah by the realese of Alan Gross. watch video Here There were many frum yidden in attendance representing Agudah and other local organizations. The  bracha of shehechiyanu was recited on the second night. There was also a Minyan for Maariv.

Sufganiyot, Chanuka Doughnunt's not as "oily' as they used to be

Growing up, around the Chanuka menorah and the dreidel playing were those delicious Doughnuts or latkes frying in the kitchen waiting to be served hot to all those gathered around the table. The Doughnuts were fried and rich with oil as was the costume to eat oily foods on Chanuka. Recently this most important staple of the Chanuka festival   has been commercialized. The bakeries cant give them the oily taste that mom would put into it. Some don't put any oil in it at all. Its missing the yiddisher taam of a chanuka doughnut. 

Spin the Dreidel!!!

                                                                      

                                                               Click HERE to spin the dreidel

Photos- Gedloim lighting menorah first night Chanukah 5775-2014

Rav Chaim kanievsky lighting Menorah chanukah 5775

Shabbos Chanukah 2014 for large mishpachos a cheap hotel is the new inn.

chocolate coin Chanukah gelt menorah

 For many families shabbos Chanukah means going away and spending shabbos with family and friends, getting together at bubby and zaidy's house. Some go away for an early midwinter vacation.  

  Boruch Hashem, many mishpachos can no longer pile in to bubby's house. There is just no room even for the immediate family. What many families are doing now, is going away to a hotel. A cheap reasonably priced hotel and spending shabbos there with the relatives. The meals are not catered at all, rather each family  brings a specific food and jobs are distributed among the siblings in making sure everything is brought such as a Sefer Torah, a Minyan, crock pot's, tableware and toys for the kids. What used to be a luxury has now  become a norm but not in an extravagant way.

Satmar Rebbe reiterates call to install a filter on electronic devices with internet access

During his Drasha at the kuf alef kislev event marking 70 years the day Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum Ztz’l, the founder of Satmar Chassidus in America, escaped from the Nazis YM”S during the Holocaust,  the Satmar Rebbe rav Aaron Teitelbaum called on his chasidim to install the geder filter on their internet devices. The Rebbe stated just as you wouldn't put food in your mouth without a hechsher so to you can not walk around with an unfiltered device or smartphone. The Rebbe said if one needs it for parnassah he should filter it if however he does not need it than there is no excuse to own a internet enabled device.

Meshulachim heading home for Chanuka

They arrived here in the US shortly after Sukkos and trekked acrross the country asking us for help. Our fellow brothers from Eretz yisrael unfortunately have to come on to us for help they are away from their mishpachos with the burden of parnassah on their mind. They rise at vasikin and dont stop making their rounds until late at night. Its not an easy task having to ask another person for something let alone to ask for money.

 Many will be returning home for Chanukah to be with their families for this special time of the year. Please when you see them within the next few days make sure to give them something be mechazek them let them be able to go home with simcha and not have to come running back here again. Its a zechus for us to give the m Tzedaka.
Tizku Lemitzvos!!

Tefillos for Rav Chaim Epstein Shlita

The Yeshiva and Torah world are asked to daven for Rav Chaim Epstein shlita Rosh yeshiva of Zichron melech in Brooklyn. Name for Tehillim Chaim Leib ben Shaina Ita for a Refuah Shleima.

VIdeo: Living lessons- stories on Chanuka than and now narrated by Rabbi Pesach Krohn

Rav Shmuel Goldstein Returns to Har Nof shul where he was wounded in terror attack.

Rav Shmuel Goldstein a victim of the Har Nof Attack returns for first time to Har Nof shul where he was wounded in the terror attack. 

Rav Shmuel Goldstein 

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Rav Elozor Levi Z''TL Rosh Mechina of Telshe Yeshiva

BJL It is with great sadness that we report the passing of Rav Elozor Levi zt”l, longtime rosh mechinah of Yeshivas Telshe and rebbi to thousands of talmidim, including many in Baltimore.  The levaya will take place tomorrow, Sunday, December 14, at 9 a.m., at Chesed Shel Emes, located at 26640 Greenfield Road in Oak Park, Michigan. The levaya will then continue at 2 p.m. at the  Telshe Yeshiva of Cleveland Bais Medrash, located at 28400 Euclid Avenue in Wickliffe, Ohio. To listen in to the hespeidim in Cleveland, dial 567-314-1830, pin 28400#.

The Drasha Addressed to Napoleon Bonaparte

  Yosef found himself in the dungeon together with Pharaoh's wine butler (Sar HaMashkim). He interpreted for him his dream: "The three clusters are three days. In another three days Pharaoh will lift up your head and will restore you to your post and you will place Pharaoh's cup in his hand as was the former practice when you were his cupbearer." [Bereshis 40: 12-13]
  Yosef then added the following words: "If only you would think of me (ki im zechartani) with yourself when he benefits you, and you will do me a kindness, if you please, and mention me to Pharaoh, then you would get me out of this building." [Beresis 40:14].

A Note from the Editor of AMI Magazine

Last night it came to my attention that in this week's edition of Ami Magazine there is a banner ad for Yaffed, an organization with a mission to change the state of Orthodox Jewish chinuch. In the furtherance of that goal Yafed is also reportedly pursuing legal action against New York City and State.

Ami Magazine has repeatedly advocated against such efforts and has condemned organizations like Yaffed. We have asked the community to unite against all those who seek to reform the Orthodox way of life, and we remain steadfast in our resolve to defeat such misguided initiatives.

Schmaltz and Gribenes make a comeback- will it also bring back the assimilated Jews

Gribenes: NYT photo

A article in the  the NYT  claims " Crisco was the number one factor in helping Jews assimilate into American society in the 1920s and ’30s,” said Tina Wasserman, the former food columnist of ReformJudaism.org and author of “Entrée to Judaism: A Culinary Exploration of the Jewish Diaspora.” Now that shmaltz is making a comeback will that turn the trend?

 New York Times -Schmaltz doesn’t get the respect it deserves.

The butt of countless jokes about clogged arteries and an early grave, this rich, rendered, onion-scented chicken fat is synonymous with the heavy, plodding food of the shtetls. Even now, as medical science has given a nod to the moderate consumption of saturated animal fats, and the culinary elite has fallen hard for the likes of lard, tallow and duck fat, poor schmaltz remains the babushka-clad cousin not invited to the table.

Agudah testifies against NJ assisted suicide bill

 Hamodia  A New Jersey State Senate Committee heard testimony on Monday from Agudath Israel, among several other public advocacy groups, regarding a bill to legalize doctor-assisted suicide in that state.
“Both Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky and Rav Malkiel Kotler said that this is a core issue and that it is tantamount to legalizing murder,”

VIDEO -First Har Nof now in Brooklyn at 770- Yeshiva Bochur stabbed

Bochur stabbed in 770

Collive.com A 22 year old Bochur Levi Rosenblatt (name for tehillim Levi Yitzchok ben Raizel for a refuah shleima), was stabbed in Chabad New York headquarters inside 770 Eastern Parkway.  At approximately 1:45 am, according to witnesses who were sitting in 770 Eastern Parkway - Lubavitch Headquarters, a black male entered with a serrated 9-inch kitchen knife, police said. Watch video below of  NYPD cops shoot suspect inside chabad Lubavitch synogogue

One bochur saw him and shouted at him to drop the knife, but he approached a bochur who was standing near the bima, and stabbed him once in the neck, witnesses described. Bystanders also reported hearing the attacker shout "kill the Jews."

Flagged down by witnesses, cops then ran into 770 and demanded that he drop the knife. After a standoff with police at gunpoint, he did drop the knife, but after a few moments grabbed it again. He then lunged at the cop, who shot him in the torso.

VIDEO: Tribute to Rav Mosheh Twersky Hy''d at Yeshivas Toras Moshe Dinner

This video was shown last night at the 2014 Dinner for Yeshivas Toras Moshe which was in Memory of the beloved Rebbe Rav Moshe Twersky HY''D
Rabbi Mosheh Twersky HY"D from Studio 7 Productions

Yarchei Kallah of Agudath Israel in yerushalayim

for Photos of yarchei Kallah 2015  HERE
The 15th annual winter Yarchei Kallah of Agudas Yisrael Torah projects commission, will take place this year in Yerushalayim. It will be held January 19- 22, 2015 at the Ramada Jerusalem hotel. for more info check out the Yarchei Kallah website  http://www.aiayk.org/ .

Do the ends justify the means for frum Org's online marketing?

A promotional you tube video that is not at the highest tznius standards, a campaign with ad banners featuring a NBA player in uniform, these are only but a few examples of frum organizations marketing fundraising events. None of these type of ads would print in the frum papers why is it muttar on the internet?

The video, is promoting awareness for children that are sick with yeneh machla R''L. It was advertised on so called frum websites, obviously targeting and meant for the heimishe olam to view. The NBA player in an ad banner promoting a basketball event for  kiruv, also viewed on many frum websites and blogs. Why is there a double standard when it comes to what the frum community is exposed to. If  rabbonim  approve of the content why dont we see the same in the print media. If it is not within the standards of the Frum heimish and yeshiva world crowds why is it ok to post it online?

ותן טל ומטר לברכה Tonight Thursday December 4th, 2014

ותן טל ומטר לברכה Tonight Thursday night December 4th
Klal yisrael  in Chutz laaretz will begin saying V'sein Tal Umatar Livracha Tonight by Maariv. 13 Kislev December 4th 2014.

A Letter from Reb Shmuel Goldstein

 Hamodia- A moving letter written by Rabbi Shmuel Goldstein, who was seriously wounded in the Har Nof terror attack on November 18, to those who will be attending the Yarchei Kallah at the Mir Yeshivah in Yerushalayim.

Photos-Lakewood Yeshiva heritage journey to Moscow, Kletzk

Pictures of the Beth Medrash Govoha Board of Governor's Journey Roots to Routes mission In Moscow, Russia- Kletzk, Belarus for Photo gallery click HERE
for photos of trip to Kletzk  and Volozhin click  HERE

Rav Malkiel Kotler at the kever of Rav Chaim Voloziner ztl