“Matchmaker, Matchmaker – make me a match. Find me a find. Catch me a catch.” These famously recognizable words are sung by three of Tevye’s daughters, Teitzel, Hodel, and Chava, in the musical Fiddler on the Roof. They ring through Jewish heads across the world…and not just because the tune is catchy. Many have asked themselves, “Where is my match?” We used to look for Jewish love in the shtetl (Yiddish for village); now we scan the tables at Rosenberg’s Bagels & Delicatessen for curly-headed strangers that might be our beshert (Yiddish for divine soulmate.) We exchanged traditional matchmakers for online dating apps. We swapped note-passing with the cutie sitting next to us in Hebrew school for sending catchy one-liners in a text exchange. But what if Jewish love was still as accessible and simple as it used to be? With the help of your favorite yenta (Yiddish for busybody, but more commonly known as a Jewish matchmaker) – the Jewish Community Center of Denver (the J) might have love waiting just for you. 

Elissa Madonia, a former JCC Denver employee and an active program participant, is a prime example of finding love at the J. She grew up visiting the Jewish Community Center in Rochester, New York, attending preschool there and then exercising at the J gym in high school. In 2019 Elissa moved to Denver and her whole world changed when she accepted a position in the JCC Denver Engagement department. “I wanted to connect with the community, but I remember contemplating if I was Jewish enough for the part-time Coordinator role. Then, I met Daniel in the Camps hallway. That’s where he was working at the time. My boss said, ‘Oh you rock climb. So does Daniel. Why don’t you two go together?’ I thought it was just as friends,” Elissa reminisces. During COVID, Daniel and Elissa took their relationship beyond the climbing wall. They sipped beers while playing Connect-4 over Zoom, strolled around Sloan’s Lake, and challenged one another to porch-side backgammon. 

Now five years later, Elissa and Daniel live together in Park Hill with their goldendoodle, Charlie, and their six bike babies. Elissa shares, “We do a lot of biking – both separate and tandem. We also go hiking and camping, and Daniel just encouraged me to get back into skiing. He’s helped me get into hobbies that we now do together.” Elissa’s taste for adventure has intensified thanks to the support of her partner, Daniel. But this exploration doesn’t stop at outdoor adventures. “At home in Rochester, being Jewish felt like it meant going to synagogue and identifying as religious. But Daniel has opened my eyes in so many ways. He’s shown me that being a part of the Jewish community and participating in JCC events is just as valid and real. It’s allowed me to embrace my Jewish pride,” Elissa explains. They love attending the Jewish Deli Bike Tour, J Ski Ski, and Festo! Festo! Elissa admits that her relationship with Daniel has had a deep impact on her life; how she spends her time and in her personal relationship with her own Jewishness.  

Jewish matches, like this one, are made in Jewish spaces. Love at the JCC Denver blooms amongst staff, campers, and community members. Are you looking for your next great love story? Hang around the J long enough and you are sure to find your soulmate, too.