After interviewing more than 175 couples, I conclude that it’s one possible answer. I base my conclusion on the following definitions of serendipity: when you find good things without looking for them, or when you find valuable things unintentionally.
It’s clear that Rabbi Riskin wrote his article before the emergence of dating apps. Still, then as now, in order to “find” one must “look” and “be seen.”
On these pages we focus on couples – engaged or married – who describe where they met and when. There were no family members or friends involved, no matchmakers, no Internet. They were simply going about their business, working and volunteering, traveling on planes and buses, skiing and hiking, on Broadway and in Nepal, in synagogues and at universities. In other words, they were all just “out there.”
I spoke with one woman who met her husband-to-be at a post office in Jerusalem. Was that a coincidence? Bashert? Elie Wiesel would say, “In Jewish history there are no coincidences.” And Rabbi Benjamin Blech, a professor at Yeshiva University, maintains, “Coincidence is but God’s way of choosing to remain anonymous.”
At the Oprah Daily website, there’s a 2019 article “Where to meet single men in real life, no online dating apps required.” Their last tip: “The next time you spot someone who catches your fancy, try this crazy idea: Make eye contact and smile!”
It worked for Aliza at a Purim party in 2019.