It all started with a simple swipe on a screen on Saturday, April 15, 2017. We were both home from our respective universities to celebrate Passover with our families. That “swipe” led to an entire day of texting which opened up a world of mutual friendships, hobbies, passions, and goals. We had grown up only a few miles from one another. Our paths had crossed multiple times. We had been together yet apart for years. We decided to meet in person later that evening. We talked and laughed for hours until our faces and bellies ached. We said goodnight, knowing that we would be returning to separate schools the next morning.

The next several months were nothing short of tough; we were in different schools, different states, then different countries but, we knew we had something special that would withstand these tests. Finally, on April 13, 2019, we made our relationship “official” over bagels and fish at Pumpernicks Deli in North Wales, PA.

Covid hit in March of 2020, forcing us indoors for a while. We added our fur baby, Zoey, to our family in December, which got us back into the world. The three of us moved to Old City, Philadelphia, then purchased our first home together in May 2021. Over the past several years, we have found new jobs, new friends, new beginnings, but held fast to our old friends, supportive families, and each other.

In August 2023 on a sandy beach in Margate, NJ we made the choice to spend our lives together. The beautiful photos we have from that day truly capture our laughter, tears, and pure joy as we celebrated our engagement, and the start of this new chapter.