ARTS AND CULTURE

Aleeza Ben Shalom

Matchmaker

Professional Jewish matchmaker and dating coach Aleeza Ben Shalom achieved worldwide fame in 2023 when she fronted the Netflix series "Jewish Matchmaking." "No matter what religion you practice or what country you come from — it's hard for anybody to find love," the married mother of five, who is based in Israel and grew up in Philadelphia, explained. "Our goal every time is to hit the nail on the head and make a match. Hopefully they'll live happily ever after." Ben Shalom, who has shepherded over 200 couples into marriage, added that her own children, ranging from ages 9 to 19, also know that they can turn to their mother for help when they want to get married. "One of them joked with me and said, 'Well, if I can't find somebody, I'm not really worried because you'll just set me up,'" she recalled. "I said, 'Yeah, exactly!'" (Photo: LinkedIn)