The dating expert: Shoshanna Rikon is the founder of Shoshanna’s Matchmaking Service, a Manhattan-based Jewish dating service.
Is it appropriate to think of a synagogue as a venue for meeting a guy or girl, especially during the High Holy Days?
Shoshanna Rikon: It depends on the synagogue. Check if they have a singles program; then you’ll know they want people to meet at their shul. It’s good for them, because they know couples will stay on as members.
Is there anything about the High Holy Days that makes it more likely you’ll meet a soul mate?
In the fall, social life slows down compared to summer. You also start feeling a little guilty: Your mother might bug you about being alone at the Rosh Hashanah table. You see all of these married people in your family at services or holiday dinners. It gets a little cold out.
Considering the nature of the holidays, is there anything you should or shouldn’t say if you’re meeting someone new in a synagogue setting?
I always tell my female clients not to stand on ceremony. You have to initiate the conversation, because men won’t. But the guy has to close the deal. He has to pick up the signs and get your number or ask you out for a drink.