“I swear that this time I will lose weight”
“I am going to pray every day…”
We make promises all the time. We swear that we are going to do something, and then hope that we will be in a position to fulfill the vow.

I encourage all of my single friends to keep on trying JDate, sometimes taking a break.   It only takes one special someone to change your life.

The Rosh Hashana tashlich ceremony is a tradition that is dear throughout the many diverse Jewish communities. Tashlich literally translates as “You will throw.” But what, exactly, is it?

I think we both can thank JDate for getting us together because I lived in Hopatcong, New Jersey and Lauren lived in Manalapan, New Jersey. Without JDate, we would have never found each other.

Since Rosh Hashana is the Day of Judgment, it is customary to eat simanim,* foods with symbolic meanings that invoke God’s blessing. We also recite a short prayer before eating them. While apple with honey is a universal custom, other symbolic foods eaten depend on family custom. Here are some examples:

In addition to the unique prayer services of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the High Holidays are known for one other service: selichot. A collection of religious poems and verses, selichot are penitential prayers that help one focus on the mood of the season.

I was his first and only JDate! I always bug him about how lucky he was, that he only had to go on one JDate, when my story was, shall we say…quite different.

In a little over a week, Rosh Hashana, the Jewish New Year, will be celebrated. While New Year’s celebrations are nice (the Jewish calendar actually has four of them!), Rosh Hashana’s significance is far greater than a mere New Year. It is, in fact known as Yom Hadin, the Day of Judgment, and is a time when Jews focus on recognizing God as the King of Kings.

My husband was my first, last and only JDate!  He is my best friend and together we have built a beautiful life with our family and friends.