Matchmakers

Is there a secret formula for finding love and marriage? Two modern-day matchmakers working within the Jewish community and the Hindu community share their unique insights into dating and relationships. Aleeza Ben Shalom is a Jewish-American matchmaker based in Philadelphia, USA, who describes herself as a love coach for marriage-minded singles. Her approach is not necessarily to find someone a match herself, but to give them the tools they might need to find a potential partner, mainly through a series of coaching sessions. She works within the Jewish community, and enjoys matching older singles through her business Marriage Minded Mentor. Geeta Khanna is an Indian matchmaker based in Delhi who tries to bridge the divide between the expectations of traditional parents and the modern desires of her clients. While many Indians are now using dating apps like Tinder and Shaadi, Geeta thinks there is still room for her personal services. Her agency Cocktail Matches serves an affluent Hindu community. She says she works with people of all ages, but in India it can be hard to find a match if you've been divorced. (L) Aleeza Ben Shalom (credit: Yehudis Goldfarb) (R) Geeta Khanna (credit: Vijay Kumar Gupta)