At Migdal Ohr she received all she needed educationally, physically and emotionally! Guided by teachers with never-ending warmth and love, she received a well-rounded education.  She also benefited from individual and group therapy sessions to overcome several issues from her tumultuous childhood. Due to her outstanding talents, she progressed amazingly in all fields of study. After graduation, she attended seminary, followed by university studies which Migdal Ohr offered her a scholarship for, and eventually received her CPA certification.

In her early 20’s she started actively dating and friends and matchmakers were always setting her up on dates. Being the beautiful and talented girl that she was, she was very selective about the young men she went out with. Finally, she went out with someone she was head over heels for and truly felt like he was “the one” – Eli. After 12 dates, Eli was still holding back about getting serious! Hila was concerned and feeling very vulnerable. She spoke to Rebbetzin Esther Grossman, her mentor and mother-figure from Migdal Ohr, about her concerns.

The Rebbetzin went to meet with Eli herself to get to the bottom of the situation. It didn’t take long for Eli to divulge what was holding him back – he was also very interested in Hila, but was skeptical about her upbringing and lack of a familial support. For him, it was incredibly important to have to have family to turn to as an outside support system to help financially, emotionally, and spiritually. When he imagined a possible future together, he viewed this is a major setback.

At that point, Rebbetzin Grossman was the one to open up to Eli. She explained to Eli that Migdal Ohr is more than just a school – it really is a family. All of the students come from broken homes and the staff at Migdal Ohr becomes their support system and that relationship does not end after the students graduate. Once someone is part of the family, the connection and bond lasts forever! There is an unconditional love that develops and the staff, particularly Rebbetzin Grossman and her husband Rabbi Grossman, are always there for the alumni who need them. She assured him that Hila does have a loving family so if that’s his only concern about moving forward with their relationship he should consider it non-existent.

Within a couple months after their conversation, the Rebbetzin received a call from Hila that she and Eli were engaged! As an alumna of Migdal Ohr, Hila turned to the Migdal Ohr Bridal Fund which helps pay for alumni weddings and gives the couple assistance with furniture, rent and more to set up their new home together. Rabbi Grossman officiated the marriage ceremony, and Hila and Eli were able to begin their married life together on the right foot and were so excited for what the future held.

Fast-forward to today – Hila now works in a government office and Eli works in IT, but also makes time to learn. True to her word, any time a problem arose, Hila and Eli had Rabbi and Rebbetzin Grossman to turn to in order to help sort it out. Hila and Eli are happily married for four years now and have 2 children and one on the way!

If you are interested in learning more about Migdal Ohr or the Migdal Ohr Bridal Fund, or would like to help an underprivileged bride like Hila, please visit www.migdalohrusa.org.

The post Jewish Dating: HILA’S INSPIRING STORY appeared first on Orthodox Jewish Dating And Matchmaking At Saw You At Sinai.

Wrinkles You Can Get Rid Of Easily! No, Not THOSE Wrinkles.

As we have stressed repeatedly: a photograph captures just one instant in time and immortalizes it. This makes it important to get all the details right in that instant.

One of the things that can easily happen to ruin a photograph is that the subject can move and introduce wrinkles into their previously wrinkle­free clothing. Even though these are wrinkles from the way the subject is positioned, and not actually wrinkled clothing, in a still photograph, they just look like wrinkles.

Even though Breindel’s shirt isn’t wrinkled, wrinkles do momentarily appear as Breindel moves around. In real life, our brains process all of this motion and come to the conclusion, “The shirt is not wrinkled.” However, this moment is examined on its own on a photograph, therefore it would appear that Breindel is wearing a wrinkled shirt and it would be a distraction in the image and make viewers wonder why Breindel dressed so sloppily.

This is why it is important to pose and groom oneself even for a “candid” photograph.

To make sure your profiles don’t mar your appearance with these kind of wrinkles, make sure your photographer is watching for wrinkles each time they take a photo. Or have a second person standing by to smooth out your clothing after each change of pose.

Jewish Singles Profile Photo No Wrinkles

Jewish Singles Profile Photo with Wrinkles

****Blog by Breindel and Eric.  They are the founders of ShidduchPhotographer.com, a photography service that specializes in improving your shidduch photos, using Staged to Look Natural™ Photography. Both of them work together during photo sessions to make sure you feel your best, so that you look your best.

Breindel and Eric are happy to give you advice about your Saw You At Sinai profile photos. Please email any photos you would like us to look at to breindel@shidduchphotographer.com

The post Jewish Dating Tips: Wrinkles You Can Get Rid Of Easily! appeared first on Orthodox Jewish Dating And Matchmaking At Saw You At Sinai.

The purpose of your online dating photo is to give the viewer some insight as to what you look like, aswell as to your character. Therefore, the most important part of your photo is your facial expression.

When someone is taking your profile photo, make sure your image isn’t captured with a shocked, blank, or even creepy expression, by doing the following: Think about something specific and imagine all the details. This will give you an emotion, which will translate onto your face as an expression. And that expression will give your still photo life, and give the viewer a glimpse into your personality.

By working on this with the person taking your photo, you will get a photo that represents the real you to someone who doesn’t know you.

To develop a strong expression, think about something specific. For example, rather than thinking about “being happy”, you want to think about a particular experience that made you happy.

Here are some suggestions of things to think about while you are having your photo taken, that will help you get a good expression on your face. Try them out and see what works best for you.

Suggestions for Things Women Can Think About

Flirty – ­ How would you look if you saw a guy you liked from across the room and you were hoping he would notice you? Give that look to the camera.

Love ­ – Think of the warm feeling that being in love gives you.

Secret nobody knows ­ – We don’t know that secret to tell you to think about.. but you do!

Favorite treat ­ – At the end of the workday, what kind of treat would you like to come home to? (For Breindel, it’s dark chocolate.)

Suggestions for Things Men Can Think About

Strength – ­ Think of something that you do better than other guys: swimming, chess, etc.

Lucky day – ­ You just won tickets to the game! Let’s see the smile.

Accomplishment ­ – Something you are proud of: catching a big fish, getting a promotion, etc.

Try a variety of these thoughts in your photos, look at the results, and see which helps bring out your personality the best. Remember, you are not just showing your face in a photo, you are giving the viewer insight into your character, and that will entice them to get to know you better.

*****

Blog by Breindel and Eric.  They are the founders of ShidduchPhotographer.com, a photography service that specializes in improving your shidduch photos, using Staged to Look Natural™ Photography. Both of them work together during photo sessions to make sure you feel your best, so that you look your best.

Breindel and Eric are happy to give you advice about your Saw You At Sinai profile photos. Please email any photos you would like us to look at to breindel@shidduchphotographer.com

The post Jewish Dating Profile: Things to think about while your photo is being taken appeared first on Orthodox Jewish Dating And Matchmaking At Saw You At Sinai.

You realize your date is not a good fit for you after one or two dates. How do you ‘break up’? While I usually recommend going on at least two dates with most people, sometimes there are red flags after only one date. You know that person isn’t right for you, but it can be uncomfortable to tell your date you’re not interested. You don’t want to hurt their feelings.

Do you pull a disappearing act and never speak to them again? Or do you lie and say you’ve rekindled a relationship with an old flame?

There’s a better way to say goodbye.

Of course you don’t want to hurt your date’s feelings. I agree; we should treat everyone with kindness.

But I also believe we should strive to be truthful. Here’s how to end things with kindness and honesty, whether it’s after one date or a few.

I’ll illustrate with a story.

‘Sara’ was supposed to have a coffee date with a new man she met online. He called to cancel that afternoon. “My new iPhone broke today”, he said, “So, I have to cancel our date”.

“What does a broken phone have to do with meeting for coffee?” she thought. She was concerned that he might be an anxious guy who doesn’t do well in a crisis, which is a deal breaker for her.

But, she didn’t want to read too much into things before meeting him. So, she agreed to reschedule for the following week.

The first date

He greeted her outside Starbucks, and as they walked in, he told her he doesn’t drink coffee or tea. “That’s a bit strange,” thought Sara. “Why did he ask me to meet him at a coffee shop?” But, she was trying really hard not to judge him, and she took a deep breath and smiled. He ordered lemonade, she an iced latte, and they sat down to talk.

The conversation was a bit awkward at first, but as he relaxed, there was more of a flow.

They even laughed a few times, which is a good sign of connection. They discovered they had friends in common and enjoyed many of the same activities.

He admitted to being nervous, and she knew that first dates are not always a good indicator of a person’s full personality. A second date might bring him out more. So when he asked if she’d see him again, she said yes.

He started texting the next day, and that’s when things started to get weird.

Him: Hi!

Five minutes later…

Him: I found you on Facebook. Such beautiful pictures of you! Now I’m going to be tongue-tied the next time I see you!

Sara: Thanks for the compliment. I saw that you sent me a friend request on Facebook. Nothing personal, but I am not going to accept your request, because I don’t like to be connected on social media with people I date.

(Sara started to feel that he was stalking her.)

Him: Well, that means we are going to date! We both will be speechless on the next date!

That last text made Sara very uncomfortable. He was overly emotive, anxious, and seemed to lack confidence as well.

She had already promised him a second date, but she was certain she didn’t want to see him again.

She wanted to end things kindly and firmly. Here’s what she wrote:

“This is not easy for me to say, and perhaps it won’t be easy for you to hear. I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s best not to continue dating. You seem like a wonderful person with many great qualities. I’m looking for someone who matches with my unique interests, goals and personality in a different way. I certainly hope you can understand. I enjoyed meeting you and wish you the best. I just know I am not the right person for you and want you to find the one that is.”

He immediately wrote back: “I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but I understand. It was very nice meeting you and I wish you nothing but the best. You deserve it.”

Lesson learned: listen to your gut.

Have you ever ignored your wise inner voice, the voice that recognizes red flags? That voice knows what’s best for you. And if it’s telling you that there’s something really off with the person you’re dating, listen closely.

Better to end things right away when the message is loud and clear.

It’s also important to know when to go out again.

Go out on a second or third date if you share common values, you have a similar worldview, and you’re enjoying yourself when you’re together. Do you laugh? Is the conversation interesting? If there are no big red flags, go out again. Often people open up and relax on the second or third date, and that’s when sparks begin to fly.

In Sara’s case, the red flags were there. She dismissed a few yellow flags (canceling a date because of a broken phone, taking her to a coffee shop when he didn’t drink coffee), but couldn’t dismiss the feeling she had after he stalked her on Facebook.

Have you ever ignored your gut feelings about a date and let things progress for too long? Do you find it difficult to know how to end things after a few dates? Please share your thoughts.

About Sandy Weiner

Sandy Weiner, Dating Coach and Chief Love Officer of Last First Date, is devoted to helping women and men achieve healthy, off the charts love in the second half of life. She’s an internationally known dating coach, blogger, radio host, communications expert, and TEDx speaker. Discover the top 3 mistakes midlife daters make (and how to easily turn them around to find a loving partnership). The guide is yours FREE by clicking here.

The post Jewish Dating Advice: How to ‘Break Up’ After a Few Dates appeared first on Orthodox Jewish Dating And Matchmaking At Saw You At Sinai.

Once upon a time, the grandmother of a boy would see a girl at shul and say, “I have the best boy for you!” She’d give a few details, and the young people would agree to go out and see for themselves if the shidduch was shayach (suitable). This is the way all of our grandparents would do it. Someone would meet a great girl at a shabbos meal, and ask her out. Or they’d meet at the Night of Stars”, a planned event where marriageable age singles would go and meet each other. Times have changed since that decade and have left many of us in the dark. Mothers and singles feel at the mercy of shadchanim, who are overloaded with singles, have limited hours in the day, and are not compensated for their hours and hours of time spent doing this most important job. Most shadchanim I speak to wish there was a different way, and that their role of being a shadchan was unnecessary, since it would be so much easier for singles to be able to meet on their own.

Today, however, resumes are crucial to our shidduchim. It’s the only way to put out there most of the imformation people ask for when inquiring about a single they’re looking into. However resumes they have their drawbacks. It very often happens that a shidduch is stopped in its tracks even before the couple gets to meet. Yes,there is a great deal of information on paper, but could it be that that is the problem? A piece of paper should never replace going out on a first date and seeing where it goes. But, unfortunately, when everything about a person is in front of you on that resume, it can lead singles to forget the big picture of who a person is, and they refuse to even go on a date. This happens even when the girl and boy are in the same town. Rather, singles tend to revert to the perfect picture that exists only in their minds. Feeling that things can not be compromised on, they say it doesn’t seem ideal, so “why give it a date?” As the famous quote goes, “Don’t let the imaginary person in your head keep you from learning to love the person standing right in front of you.”

I have seen many examples of such situations, which I feel must be told to others as a learning experience. For instance, one boy said no to meeting a wonderful, beautiful girl, living in the same town. This was because, after inquiring how outgoing the girl was, on a scale of one to ten, he heard she was a seven – and he said, “I need more of an eight, personality-wise.” I have heard from the parent of a kollel boy that he would like a girl who shops at high-end stores like Saks 5^th Ave and Nordstrom rather than Macy’s-type stores, yet she should also be open to supporting him in learning for the first five years. I’ve had a girl go out who told me everything was perfect with a boy she was dating, however it bothered her too much that he was only 2 inches taller than her.

It’s not just the boys, though. Many girls say no to even giving a wonderful guy a chance because something on his resume is not perfectly in line with her ideal picture. For instance I have seen girls nix shidduchim with wonderfully shtark (religiously strong) and learned boys, because they were looking for someone in full-time learning, and the boy on paper had plans to go to work and be kovea itim. I have also often heard girls say no because a boy seemed “too quiet” on paper. There is nothing wrong with having a general picture of what you are looking for, but if you have everything planned out, and you see something different on a resume, don’t make the mistake of saying no to meeting the boy because of this. A resume should never replace a date.

As Rabbi Manis Friedman once said, rather than looking for the perfect guy or the perfect girl, our singles should be looking for a good wife, or a good husband. Because as we all know, the perfect guy/girl does not exist; and if one thinks she exists, and one marries someone he thinks is perfect, he is in for a shock once he is actually married to the person, and will have a lot to work on during marriage. Yes one must be very attracted to the person he marries, but if he’s looking to get married he must also realize and come to terms that this perfect girl will age, she will gain weight while pregnant, and if he only married her because she was ‘the perfect girl’ – he will have many issues staying married. Rather than if he’s looking for an amazing wife, which includes being attracted (but in no way looking for perfection) those qualities are ones that never age and never fade.

As long as the important basics are there – basics such as middos (character), how the person treats others, chesed, basic attraction, and other qualities that are crucial to a happy marriage, please do yourselves a favor and give it a date to see if things go well in person.

Part 2 to follow….

Author Biography: Michelle Mond from Baltimore, MD is a licensed Esthetician by profession, and is currently working as a busy wife and mother. In her extra time she works as a shadchan for young men and women all over the US, in addition to writing about shidduch-related topics for local papers.

The post Tips for Jewish Singles: How to Maximize your Shidduchim and Find Your Bashert More Easily – Part 1 appeared first on Orthodox Jewish Dating And Matchmaking At Saw You At Sinai.

Boy meets Girl.  Boy falls in love with Girl.  Girl falls in love with Boy.  They get married, ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.  Nowhere in this fairy tale lie the sordid details of their first date.  Did Boy reveal Great Uncle Larry’s propensity to guess the weight of the women in his family?  Did Girl coyly say “I don’t know. Whatever you want to do” to every suggestion Boy made?  I wonder if their first date took on an ominous interview quality.  You know the one…..  “How many kids do you want?  How do you want to raise them?  Where do you see yourself in five years?  Are you going to be a career woman or a stay at home mom?”  I’m not a betting gal, but if I had to take a gamble I’d say Boy and Girl steered clear of the aforementioned chit chat and had glance at this cheat sheet I have prepared for you!

Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge that fabulous people fudge first dates.  People who breeze confidently into business meetings, or manage a classroom of 25 little people can suddenly become undone.  The life of the party becomes the wall flower, or the introverted type is rattling off all the names of the children in his second grade elementary school class.  For the purposes of this article, I am referring to this phenomenon as “Phobic First Daters.” (PFD).  If you are a PFD you know how you feel before and during a first date.  You may place an enormous emphasis on your appearance, or spend your time analyzing your conversation with your date.  Whatever the hyper focus is, it is distracting you from being present on your first date.  Whether you are a Phobic First Dater, toil moderately or simply want to amp up your first date game, here are some useful tips to consider:

1.  Don’t “just relax.” How many well intentioned people have told you to just relax?  If this works for you, just relax and skip to Tip #2.  If you are a dater for whom these words are like nails on a chalk board then this tip is for you.  Instead of trying to relax, acknowledge to yourself that you get stressed before dates.  In other words, own it.  Don’t actively try to rid yourself of this emotion, but imagine the stress passing.  Here is a one popular exercise.  Imagine you are a rock in the ocean.  You are immovable.  The waves thrash upon you, but you know the storm will pass and the sun will shine again; as it always has.  The rock is you before your date.  The waves are the first date jitters.  Say “hello jitters.  We meet again.  You can prep with me before my date if you’d like.”  This may feel counterintuitive but it puts you in control of your nerves.
2.  Revealing personal information should be done in the same manner one might drink a fine wine; slowly. In the now dubbed “Great Uncle Larry” category I include shameful personal secrets, family secrets, politics, worldview and personal relationship expectations.  This may send your date running for the hills not because you aren’t fabulous.  After all, everyone has a skeleton or two.  It is because you are essentially a stranger.  Imagine if a stranger approached you on the street and asked you to look at his sixth toe or told you that he feels essentially unloved by his mother.  It would be awkward.  You may feel bad for this stranger, you may run or you may even want to help, but you wouldn’t be thinking romance.  Here is a basic equation for revealing very personal things: Shared experience, shared sentiment and trust = sharing and revealing.  There’s nothing wrong with a little mystery.  To be Continued….
3.  Smile and make eye contact. Look like you want to be there.  Hold his gaze while he speaks to you.  Smile and gaze and you’re golden!
4.  Use his name in conversation. “John, can you pass the salt?”  “You look lovely this evening, Sarah.”  People love the sound of their own name.  Using her name shows her that you are confident and speaking directly to her.  You are not on a date with anyone else.  You are completely focused on her.  You are not on autopilot.  You are in the moment and present for him.  This is highly attractive.  Hopefully he will want to hear his name roll of your tongue again and again.
5.  Show a healthy curiosity about your date. DO NOT INTERROGATE.  DO NOT INTERVIEW.

DO:  Ask how many siblings he has.  DON’T: Ask who is the favorite child.

DO:  Ask about his fantasy vacation destination.  DON’T: Tell him you would never consider traveling there.

DO: Ask about her job.  DON’T:  Ask what she earns.

DO:  Ask him what his top five favorite books/movies are.  DON’T: tell him you saw the last two movies he mentioned with your ex.

6.  Shower, wear something nice. I’m not suggesting you spend your afternoon in front of the mirror, but looking put together and smelling nice and fresh shows your date that you put in effort because this date means something to you.

In signing off, I will mention the most important tip of all.  Be yourself and you can’t go wrong!

Happy Navidating!

Esther and Jennifer

The Navidaters are dating and relationship therapists and coaches. Located in Lawrence, NY, our services include date debriefing, dating skills, relationship intervention, couples counseling and premarital counseling. Sessions are held in office or by phone or Skype. If you’d like to get in touch with The Navidaters, call us at 516.224.7779, visit us on the web at www.thenavidaters.com or email us thenavidaters@gmail.com. Follow us on Instagram, FB and Twitter. All calls and sessions are confidential.

The post Jewish Dating Tips: FIRST DATES DON’T COME WITH A HANDBOOK…SO HERE’S THE CHEAT SHEET appeared first on Orthodox Jewish Dating And Matchmaking At Saw You At Sinai.

In your shidduch photographs, there should be only one thing that shines, and that’s you. The shiny spot is what gets noticed, and we don’t want anything detracting from your inner spark and your killer smile. Here are several pitfalls to avoid:

 FACE

Remember how in all those old movies, the women were always going off to powder their noses? Well, that’s what you might need to do, in order to get your best photo. Even if you don’t need face powder in real life, you may need to use it when being photographed. Light may reflect on the oil of your skin. Being nervous in front of the camera may make you sweat, giving your skin more shine than you would like. You can find face powder in the makeup sections of drugstores and department store cosmetic sections (we use Elf HD (High Definition) Face Powder in clear), or you can use baby powder applied with a cotton ball. As far as makeup, frosted eyeshadow, frosted lipstick or glittery blush, should not be worn in photos.

LIGHTS

Lights are used to highlight your best angles. Keep the light sources themselves out of the picture, lest you be upstaged by a bright glare.

WINDOWS and MIRRORED SURFACES

These also can be glare sources, especially if you’re using a flash – you will see the flash in the reflections.

EYEGLASSES

Eyeglasses reflect light sources and camera flashes, which will mask the one thing we most want the viewer to see: your eyes! If you’re being photographed with your eyeglasses on, you’ll want to take many photos with your head angled in slightly different positions and/or with the camera moving to catch you at slightly different angles, so that you get some photos in which your glasses don’t have glare. And remember (from our Character article), no sunglasses!

BACKGROUND

Car lights, traffic lights, the sun, shiny steel poles, torches from angry villagers, are all common distractions in photographs. We recommend keeping them out of the frame. (Especially the angry villagers. Sometimes you just have to run away very fast.)

CLOTHING

Avoid clothing materials that are shiny, such as: satin, spandex, sequins, glitter, jeweled buttons, etc.

JEWELRY

Some jewelry or a watch, is fine, but don’t overdo it. Too many shiny pieces of gold and silver, diamonds and rhinestones, will only draw the eye of the viewer away from your face and toward the glitz.

We hope this article helps improve your next photograph: Take away the shiny, to make it your time to shine!

*****

Blog by Breindel and Eric.  They are the founders of ShidduchPhotographer.com, a photography service that specializes in improving your shidduch photos, using Staged to Look Natural™ Photography. Both of them work together during photo sessions to make sure you feel your best, so that you look your best.

Breindel and Eric are happy to give you advice about your Saw You At Sinai profile photos. Please email any photos you would like us to look at to breindel@shidduchphotographer.com

The post How to Shine in Your Photos… By Not Shining appeared first on Orthodox Jewish Dating And Matchmaking At Saw You At Sinai.

We all want to look good in our photos, but is there such a thing as too good?

Sometimes people can go overboard with their efforts to take a good dating profile photo, and when they do; they can put themselves into what we refer to as a “character”. By doing this, they not only portray themselves in a way that is not their authentic selves, but also, their “character” does not convey husband or wife material.

Take a look at your photographs, and make sure that you are not pigeonholing yourself into one of these characters:

Too Cool For Shul

This character looks like an AList movie star showing off while on vacation. Signs include: dark sunglasses, fancy cars, leather jackets, smoking a cigarette, a facial expression with attitude. Although a bad boy may be appealing on one level, you’re not expecting someone with that kind of attitude to make a good spouse.

The Vamp

This character wants to show that they are sexy, and goes way too far in showing it so that it turns out to be just about the only thing they do show about themselves. Signs include: pouty lips, showing too much skin, and poses in suggestive positions. While someone who sees your photo may find you appealing, the photo itself also suggests shallowness. It also suggests that you might not know when it is appropriate to “turn it off.”

Prince or Princess

This character wears only designer everything. Signs include: Designer eyeglasses, designer jewelry, designer clothes, designer accessories, and designer shoes.  It makes us wonder if they are too high maintenance or possibly massively in debt. Someone who might be an appropriate match, may pass them by, feeling that they are out of their league.

The Perpetual Youth

This character keeps using that same great photo that was taken when they were in high school or college even though that was 20 years ago. Signs include: Photos made from film, big hair, popped collars, and faces that generally don’t match the age stated in the profile. This is one of the most common characters that matchmakers have complained to us about. It wastes people’s time. When it comes to dating photographs, honesty is the best policy.

The Bodiless Person

This character only shows extreme closeups of their face. Signs include: You only get to see their face and the upper part of their neck. Matchmakers complained to us that many singles do this in order to hide a weight problem, and advise instead to be honest and show their full body photojust dress in a tasteful, flattering way.

The Party Animal

This character always shows themselves in a party situation with drinks in hand, or nearby. Signs include: Plenty of alcohol in the photo. “Party animal” does not really say “Marriageminded”. Enough said.

The Popular Person

This character is never alone in their online dating profile photos. Signs include: Photos with more than one person in it. This causes confusion, as potential partners try to figure out A) Which one is you, if you are in a photo with friends of your own gender,. and, even worse, B) Did you post a photo of yourself with an ex?

The Recent BreakUp

This character shows themselves in a photo with some body part of their ex . Signs include: a picture of a person with a dismembered arm around them. The problem with this is that the potential match viewing your photo spends time wondering whom you cut out of the picture, and why? Instead, we suggest that you make the time and effort to take a new photo with just you in it.

As you can see, it can be very easy to let a few photos tell a story about you that you didn’t intend to tell. Sometimes, even just one photo of the types mentioned above can be enough to put off potential matches from considering you. Remember that the “character” you really want to portray is yourself. You are a multidimensional person, and it is important to reflect that in your profile.

*****

Blog by Breindel and Eric.  They are the founders of ShidduchPhotographer.com, a photography service that specializes in improving your shidduch photos, using Staged to Look Natural™ Photography. Both of them work together during photo sessions to make sure you feel your best, so that you look your best.

Breindel and Eric are happy to give you advice about your Saw You At Sinai profile photos. Please email any photos you would like us to look at to breindel@shidduchphotographer.com

The post Don’t Be This Character in Your Online Dating Photos appeared first on Orthodox Jewish Dating And Matchmaking At Saw You At Sinai.

When is the right time for an engagement? When you know you want to spend the rest of your life with someone, and you can tell your date feels the same way.

For the women- how do you get your date to propose to you? Simply talk directly about it with him, no hints or clues. It doesn’t have to be a secret!

For the men- I’m sure you’ve all heard stories of some ridiculously extravagant proposals, with marching bands and Time Square billboards. You don’t need any of that. It sets a tone for the marriage that cannot possibly be upheld forever. Instead, just go with something romantic and simple, like a sunset on a cliff. It might be cute to propose in a way that commemorates your first date. That is, if your first date is something you want to remember. If you didn’t have that incident involving the spaghetti sauce and  the toilet paper.

Make sure to schedule the wedding relatively soon after the engagement, because the engagement period can be hard on the couple. When you’re not married and you’re not dating, it can be pretty frustrating to both parties.

Goodbye and Good-luck!

The post Jewish Dating: An Engaging Topic appeared first on Orthodox Jewish Dating And Matchmaking At Saw You At Sinai.

I’m afraid this will be my last week working for SawYouAtSinai, so goodbye and good luck to all my readers and daters! Here is just a few mouthfuls of assorted dating tips that I want to leave you with!

• Compliments are a great way to endear yourself to your date. Your compliments should be based upon good things that really do impress you. Some great compliments are telling your date he/she is smart, good-looking, kind, or funny.
• Laughter and smiling is also very important for the atmosphere of the date. Your date will feel clever and funny if you are willing to laugh a little at his or her wry comments or stories. In some ways, laughter can be better than a compliment!
• Find things you have in common to talk about. Movies? Sports? Friends? Hobbies? Or, if that doesn’t work, listen to what your date is passionate about, and ask intelligent questions to show you’re interested too.
• You should be yourself on a date, but be your BEST self. In other words, be honest about the kind of person you are, but have good manners, dress nicely and be considerate.
• Once you get to know your date pretty well, inquire about his or her plans for the future. You both must come to an agreement if that is to work out.
• If you and your date are going to a bar for a date, have some alcohol, but know your limits! The last thing you want to do is get drunk on a date.
• Make sure to coordinate with your date whether you will be going out to eat, and what type of attire should be worn. You don’t want your date to be hungry at the museum or extremely well dressed at a baseball game.
• Don’t be too specific about your criteria for the perfect spouse. Most people end up marrying people completely different than they imagined, yet they are even happier! Think about what criteria must be a dealbreaker, and what doesn’t have to be.

I suppose that’s all folks! So long!

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