According to Moshé, my technique was totally ineffective; and a waste of time and money; that kind of advice was so typical of him; a diplomatic approach was fine with strangers, but not with your best friend.

This is approximately what he said:  “You’re now 24 and time is working against you.  I suggest you register with a matrimonial agency; there you’ll be dealing with a professional who has been bringing people together for a long time.  He then suggested the name of one such agency; the very one he was presently using.”

However, at 24, I did not feel it was time to push the panic button.  Therefore, I continued placing ads in the newspaper.

As I was placing one my ads, I happened to mention to the ad-taker that I intended to immigrate to the U.S. or Canada sometime in the future.  This is when that individual said, “What don’t you advertise in the Aufbau; it’s a German newspaper that is published in New York; the finest Jewish families subscribe to it.  You can kill two birds with one stone:  find a fine young lady that will help you get into either of those countries.”

Needless to say, I got all the particulars from this Good Samaritan; and before long I advertised in the aforementioned newspaper; twice.  I did get many responses, but the question was, “what then?”  We were separated by vast distances; how can we meet and get to know each other?

The Aufbau, as we shall see, would play a role in my life, but that would be in the future.

I continued chasing my tail a while longer, but eventually obtained the names of a few shadkhanim (matchmakers) from the newspaper.

I should clarify here that many matchmakers in Israel worked on a contingency basis.  You paid them only if a marriage resulted.  I believe that some required their fees upfront; but I didn’t transact with them.

The first shadkhen I dealt with was very informal.  He noted my particulars on a small card; and on the back of the card he listed my requirements.  The card then went into a wooden box.

At my first visit he told me that he had somebody for me, and that I could meet her right away!  She was an attractive Iraqi girl, and we met in a small office.  There she told me that she already had a boyfriend!  So why did the matchmaker bother?  And what did we talk about?

She praised the agency to high heavens.  Gabor (the owner) or Gabi as he liked to be called was a wizard; he had an instinct that permitted him to bring the right persons together.   Many couples across Israel owed their happiness to him.

By now you guessed that this girl acted as a lure.  She may have been an employee, and if so, she no doubt was in charge of PR!

When I asked her if she worked for the agency, she told me that she was a relative.  Some relative!  The owner was Hungarian and she was Iraqi!

I thanked her; said shalom to Gaby; and never set foot in that agency again!

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