Have you ever tried to make a shidduch? It’s not easy. Sharon Ganz has made hundreds of shidduchim and has been running singles programs for more than 35 years.
She began in Toronto, where she wanted to find a way to help singles meet new people. The challenge with running events in one city was that people often kept meeting the same people at each event.
Sharon ran her first Shabbaton in Toronto. That was followed by Shabbatonim in Montreal, Denver, Florida, Memphis, the Catskills, Los Angeles, New Jersey, and New York. Her goal was to bring people from different cities together so they could meet new people.
In the Catskills, Sharon ran Shabbatonim at the Brown’s Hotel, the Homowack Lodge, Tamarack Hotel, Concord Hotel, Kutsher’s Hotel, Honor’s Haven Retreat, and the Hudson Valley Resort. Many people have told her that these programs changed their lives. Singles were grateful for the opportunities to meet their zivug. Those who attend her events are shomer Shabbos.
Many lives have changed after attending her events. More than 400 children have been born as a result of these shidduchim. People have also made connections, found jobs, and met lifelong friends.
Her Shabbatonim take place in communities where people graciously open their homes. One host she knows became close with the person she hosted and later made sheva brachos after that guest got engaged.
Sharon stays up late at night arranging housing so singles will have an enjoyable experience and meet new friends. People who have met at her events have also gone on to set up others.
There is a lot of interaction at the events. She makes sure the seating is mixed so people have a chance to meet one another. The programs include speakers, an oneg Shabbos, a getting-to-know-you program, and a Motza’ei Shabbos event.
“I’m a Jewish mother,” she said, “so there is food galore.”
The event is conducted in a very heimish, respectful atmosphere. The goal is to help everyone find his or her soulmate and become happily married.
She recalls one Shabbos Nachamu weekend when a couple introduced her to their teenage son. They had met 25 years earlier at one of her events. The father said to his son, “I want you to meet Sharon Ganz. She introduced your mother and me to each other.”
The son smiled and said, “You tell us that every year.”
Sharon says her events are now conducted in memory of her mother, who encouraged her to continue this work. She said it is a z’chus for her mother, Chayah Sheina Chanah bas Yitzchak. May her mother’s neshamah have an aliyah.
She hopes that every time a shidduch is made, the couple will call to say thank you. When she hears there is a shidduch, she feels like she has won the lottery.
“I put my heart into these events. I want to help everyone get married,” she said. When she sees couples marry, it feels like her own children are getting married.
“I love the people I meet! When the Shabbaton ends, it feels like the last day of camp. I don’t want it to end.”
She noted that there are so many singles out there, and there is a tremendous need for this work. She arranges the housing, financing, catering, programming, and advertising.
Her advice to people who want to help singles is to put real thought into their shidduch ideas. If you are single and go on a date that does not work out, think of someone else who may be appropriate for that person.
She added, “It’s easier to split the sea in every city than to make one shidduch.”
Please share this with your single friends and family. The next Shabbaton will take place on July 24-25 at Congregation Beis Tefillah of Woodmere, located on Edward Avenue in Woodmere. To learn more, contact Sharon Ganz at 646-529-8748.
By Susie Garber
