B"H

Mazel Tov!!  

2014 was a year of growth and successful "firsts" for our International Shidduch Group Network!  Through the power of our network, we celebrated over sixty engagements!!  See our website! Each one is the beginning of a Jewish home built on the foundation of Torah and mitzvot.  

Every day we receive urgent emails and phone calls from singles, their parents and shadchanim around the globe asking for help.  We're a small non-profit and survive on donations.  All of the work carried out by the Shidduch Group Network is possible due to the support and backing of committed people such as yourself.  You represent the people who enable us to exist and have become an equal partner in all the mitzvot that we perform on a daily basis.

Let us know that our work is valuable to you. Please support us with an end-of-year tax deductible donation. With a minimum tax exempt donation of $54 you will receive a complimentary copy of Rabbi Leibel Groner’s words of wisdom on shidduchim in our first Navigating Shidduchim booklet.

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2014 Milestones 

• Received our tax exempt 501(C)3 status retroactive to November 19, 2013
  
• Published our first booklet in the Navigating Shidduchim series - Pesach Sheni 5774 Rabbi Leibel Groner 
  
• Expanded our global Chapters to over forty and launched the UK Chapters in London, Manchester and Wimbledon
  
• Launched our Facebook page and expanded our online presence at www.shidduchgroupnetwork.com to include a Blog, Engagements and Mazel Tov Stories 
  
• Hosted 200 attendees at our second Annual Shidduch Conference in Crown Heights 200 Women Talk Shidduchim
  
• Provided teleconference training with the collaboration of leaders including Rabbi Leibel Groner, Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov and Mrs. Esther Friedman
  
• Hosted monthly international teleconferences, shared profiles and made shidduchim 
  
• COLlive, N'shei Chabad and the Jewish Press covered our events, we had a workshop at the Kinus HaShluchos in January and at the N'shei Chabad Convention in December.
  

We remain focused on our goal of providing global networking, support and education to those seeking shidduchim.  All of this has been made possible due to the support and generosity of people like you.

To meet the needs of our growing network, more professional services are required including web developers, technology, travel, shipping/mailing, printing, design, videography, and administrative staff.

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Please help us make shidduchim!

• As little as 18 cents per day or $6 per month will offset day-to-day website and teleconference expenses
  
• $18 per month will allow us to expand our website functionality 
  
• A one-time donation of $2500 to develop a professional training video for Chapter leaders 
  
• A one-time donation of $3000 to publish the next booklet in the Navigating Shidduchim series
  
• A one-time donation of $5000 to establish a compilation of best practices based upon Torah and the teachings of the Rebbe
  
• $10,000 will allow us to work with shadchanim to establish a professional in-take service for those seeking shidduchim, including protocols and standards of practice for all involved
  
  

Please give generously and draw down the brachos!

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May we all share good news!

Elana Bergovoy and Dvora Schulman
Shidduch Group Network

Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov to Sukie Rubin, organizer of our London shidduch groups, on the engagement of her daughter, Esti, to Berel Scheiner of Detroit! 

Yashar koach to Sukie for all her efforts on behalf of shidduchim in London and beyond. The new couple should build a bayis ne'eman b'Yisroel! 

May we continue to share good news. Let us know YOURS when it happens!

BS"D

Rabbi Avbrohom & Yehudis Blumberger were the gracious hosts of this year's annual Chicago Shidduch Group Chanukah Couples Melave Malka.

A festive pot-luck seudah was enjoyed by all! Members contributed delicious homemade soup, salmon, quiche, salad, garlic bread, candies & nuts, l'chaim drinks and more!

Elana Bergovoy welcomed the crowd and introduced a short video with highlights from the recent International Shidduch Group Network Conference in Crown Heights. Included in the video was a film clip of keynote speaker, Kivi Bernhart. He emphasized that that when trying to get to the goal--the chuppah--one needn't worry so frantically about "how"--HOW am I going to marry off my child--as long as he/she is clear about the "why." A single should be extremely clear about what marriage is, why they are dating for marriage, & why he/she is getting married!!  Also what qualities he/she brings to the relationship & what he/she needs in a marriage partner.

MC Labish Bergovoy told a beautiful story illustrating the inyanim of hashgacha pratis, bitachon and emunah in shidduchim.

Mr. Bergovoy then introduced guest speaker, Rabbi Mendel Moscowitz. Rabbi Moscowitz spoke about the highlights of the recent workshop on Shidduchim at the Kinus haShluchim. He gave over important news from Moishe Raichman, founder of Chabadmatch.com, and urged everyone to try and utilize this site when searching for shidduchim. He also gave a chazara of remarks by Rabbi Nissen Dovid Dubov, author of "Mazel Tov: A Chabad Wedding Guide." 

Rabbi Dubov said that many times parents feel overwhelmed in their search for matches for their children. However they should try and "compartmentalize." He explained that the ship "Titanic" had a special compartmentalized system to prevent flooding of its enormous engine room in the bottom of the ship. The ship's hold was divided into multiple chambers with heavy doors separating each one from the others. That way, if one chamber became flooded, the doors to the others would seal themselves off from becoming flooded. 

If we, as parents, can try and focus on the particular shidduch suggestion at hand, or other details, as we proceed calmly to the goal, we will avoid becoming overwhelmed by the HUGE challenge of finding "the right ones at the right times" for our children!

Thanks to the Blumbergers, Wolfs, Grossmans, Bukiets, Grinkers, Krokers, Rivkins. Zimmermans, Moscowitzes, Citrins & Bergovoys for their help in putting this memorable event together. May we all share many simchas very soon!

On Tuesday, December 16, the Pittsburgh Shidduch Group gathered new members Gila Dlinn, Shoshana Malamud, Rivka Marcus and Michal Ehven together to make a L'Chaim , accompanied by the names of their daughters. After writing a pan for the Rebbe, they made the list with their daughters' names, read the checklist of Rabbi Groner from the booklet, and Gila reminded everybody to put 18 cents each day in the hachnassat kallah pushka (charity for brides). They also talked about saying the names of their girls when lighting the candles and making the challah for Shabbat.

Devorah Dlinn gave a dvar torah that connected of Hanukkah and shidduchim: In the
same way that Hashem can make the miracle of vinegar burning like oil, Hashem can make the miracle of shidduchim.

The ladies then danced and sang and made plans to meet next week Tuesday – same day, same time. If you are in the Pittsburgh area and would like to join, please email shidduchgroupnetwork@gmail.com!

The Miami Area Shidduch Group meeting took place on December 14/Kislev 22, hosted by Mrs. Rita Steiner in her home in Bal Harbor. Around 25 women attended the meeting where they learned together, were inspired by words of chizuk from Goldie Tenenhaus and Toby Weicz, networked with one another and made plenty of "L'chaims!"

On Motzei Shabbos, December 6, 14 Kislev, the London Shidduch Group was proud to hold a real "farbrengen" in honor of the wedding anniversary of the Lubavitcher Rebbe and Rebbetzin.

The evening was organized by Mrs. Sukie Rubin and hosted by Mrs. Chana Mina Bensusan in Stamford Hill. Mrs. Soroh Inglis and many other ladies helped the hostess prepare a beautiful seudah.

Attendees shared stories of the Rebbe and Rebbetzin's special marriage.

Mrs. Soroh Dubov traveled in from Wimbledon and shared a remarkable story. She recounted how the Rebbe looked after and fed children in an orphanage in Marseilles during world War II, at which time the children simply knew him as "Monsieur."  Only much later was it discovered that "Monsieur" was actually the Rebbe!

The ladies all had "l'chaims" and gave brochas to each other for those mentioned to find their zivugguim, as well as refuahs for those in need.

The farbrengen concluded with joyful singing.

Anyone wanting to contact the London Shidduch Group should call Mrs. Sukie Rubin at 079566982451.

Nearly two-hundred women gathered for this year’s Shidduch conference hosted by the International Shidduch Group Network on Sunday, November 9th/16 Cheshvan in Crown Heights. 

Participants came together from Australia, England, Canada, California, Florida, Minnesota, Texas, Michigan, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Maryland, the tri-state area and, of course, from Crown Heights. 

Attendees were inspired by the deep and stirring stories told by keynote speaker Kivi Bernhard. His message: Embrace the "why" of shidduchim and you will discover "how" to get to the goal: the chuppah!

Words of wisdom from panel discussionists Miryam Swerdlov, Esther Friedman, Moishe Raitman, Yitzchok Dubov, Devora Krasnianski, and Chaya Sarah Gurewicz were shared on topics most pertinent to those seeking shidduchim. A partnership with Rabbi Manis Friedman provided every attendee with a complimentary copy of Part 1 of his Online Dating Course designed to prepare bochurim and girls for dating and marriage. To facilitate continued profile sharing after the conference, a partnership with ChabadMatch, a database of Chabad singles worldwide, allows every conference attendee to register on ChabadMatch, waiving the fee.  For those new to shidduchim or veterans, this year’s Shidduch conference brought together all the pieces of the puzzle for successful shidduchim in one day. "Never before have shadchanim, coaches, trainers, singles and parents been brought together in one place at one time to network, learn and make shidduchim,” says Elana Bergovoy, President of the Shidduch Group Network.