I was back on the singles market, wondering what people mean when they say “you just know when you meet the right person,” when Daniel arrived to show me the meaning of that phrase. Now I can see how true it is.
I was skeptical about online dating. I knew JDate was just for Jewish singles, which I didn’t think was that important, but I liked the fact that I met Daniel, who is Israeli, and we can speak Hebrew to each other and with our families, which has been wonderful. While we share an Israeli background, both of us also grew up in the states, making for a really strong understanding of each other’s values and lifestyle.
Anyway, my sister met her husband through JDate, and when she came to visit me in New York City from Los Angeles, we checked out the site. Sitting around one morning while looking through profiles, my sister noticed I had received an email from Daniel. She had a good feeling about him and encouraged me to join JDate so I could write him back. I skeptically agreed to join and wrote him back. It took me three hours to figure out what to write him! I’m not sure why I was so flustered, but I only wrote back one simple sentence. I told him I liked krembo, and then he replied to tell me he liked shoko be sakeet (snacks from Israel). We decided to meet.
On my way to meet him for the first time, I tried not to take notice of the couple on the subway speaking Hebrew. I thought it may be a good sign, but I didn’t want to get too excited. I was suddenly shy and nervous the moment I saw Daniel, and I am not a shy or nervous person. There were sparks immediately and we had an incredible amount in common, even down to specific details like loving all the same foods and meats, but trying to become vegetarians. He has a dog and I had a pet rat – yes, a pet rat that I was insistent a man in my life would need to love like I did! Daniel was wonderful with my rat and even found him fascinating. Even his dog liked my pet rat!
We went kayaking on our second date and it’s been amazing ever since. In the last 10 months together, we have gone to Los Angeles to meet my family, Israel to meet each other’s saftas, Rome, and Tuscany. Daniel has a big loving family that made me feel welcome when I was feeling like a lonely girl in New York. Now I go to Kiddush at his mom’s house with his sisters, nieces and nephews. Daniel has brought back the optimistic, happy, silly social girl who I thought was gone. I feel so grateful to have met him; he has changed my life entirely, and made me believe that true love – like in the movies – does exist.
Daniel proposed two weeks ago in Sienna while we were on a vacation with his family. We are making plans for a wedding in New York and Israel for this summer; it’s going to be amazing once we get through the details. Daniel makes me excited for things I never thought would excite me: a wedding, family, and family vacations. I’ve never felt so loved, loved anyone so much, or felt so secure. I feel so lucky. You got me a good one, JDate. We’ll toast to you at the wedding!
Thank you!
Shirley and Daniel
Nyack, New York