Dan and Rita’s journey began in November 2023, thanks to a modern twist on fate—Facebook Dating. At the time, Rita had just been accepted into the Rabbinic program at the Academy for Jewish Religion (AJR) in Yonkers, NY. One day, while casually browsing Facebook Dating, she came across Dan’s profile and noticed that he was also a student at AJR. With no romantic intentions—just the hope of making a new friend—she sent him a message.

Dan, deep in the chaos of finals, responded honestly: he was swamped but promised to get back to her in the new year. True to his word, he reached out in January, and what started as a simple conversation quickly turned into something special. Over the course of three nights, talking for more than four hours each night, their connection growing stronger with every call.

Then, Dan made a bold move—he asked Rita if she wanted to go on a date to see Hamilton on Broadway that March, when they would both be in New York for a school gathering. She said yes, and from that moment on, their story began to unfold in ways neither of them could have imagined.