A very young shadchan (matchmaker)

One of my oldest and best friends was at a local restaurant this past June when she spotted a cute toddler—is there any other kind?—and went over to the little girl’s table to coo over her. The toddler’s mother was accompanied by her father, who turned out to be a widower who also had a son. Much to Grandpa and my girlfriend’s mutual surprise, they discovered that they were members of the same synagogue and lived only blocks away from one another, though they couldn’t remember ever having met. Next thing you know, Grandpa is asking my girlfriend, a divorcee whose thoroughly miserable first marriage lasted far too long, in my oft-stated opinion (she always asks for my advice, she just never takes any of it), for a date.

And next thing you know, within about two-three weeks, he’s asking for her hand in marriage!

We finally got the privilege of meeting this guy wonder when I proposed a trip to a Piamenta concert the weekend before Shiva Asar b’Tammuz. Being a couple of blunt-spoken types, they both asked for my assessment of him—and, being an equally blunt-spoken type, I told them both that he was a vast improvement over her ex.

They announced their engagement officially just after Tisha B’Av. Originally, they planned to marry in December, but their rabbi suggested that it would be a better idea for them to marry before combining households. So everybody got a week’s notice for a wedding yesterday evening!

It was a lovely, simple ceremony, with a small crowd, in the chattan's (groom's) back yard. Their rabbi officiated, with some of the bride’s and groom’s children holding the poles of the chuppah (wedding canopy), and a family friend holding the little shadchanit. The younger of the kallah's (bride's) two daughters made a heart-felt toast after the ceremony.

What a joy, to see my girlfriend finally happy after all these years! The newlyweds certainly have an extra reason for dipping apples in honey this Rosh Hashanah! I pray that this new year will be the start of many happy, healthy years together for the two of them, and may they enjoy much nachas from their collective children and grandchild(ren) (present and future).