Chanukah is the holiday of publicizing miracles, of sharing light so it spreads beyond your own window. But isn’t that what love does too? We find someone, we connect, and suddenly there’s more light in the world.

The Talmud teaches that the mitzvah of Chanukah is to reveal the miracles Hashem places in our lives. Not to whisper them quietly, but to shine them outward. When we share those stories – moments that shouldn’t have happened but did – we remind ourselves that G-d is still here, still matching hearts.

In honor of the eight nights of Chanukah, here are eight modern-day matchmaking miracles that prove that even when the world feels dark, light always finds a way in.

1. Eliya Cohen & Ziv Abud

Before October 7, 2023, Eliya had already bought the ring to propose to Ziv after the Nova Festival. Then he was kidnapped and held in Gaza for 505 days, never knowing if she was alive. When he came home, he proposed. She said yes. The ring that waited through terror now shines with redemption.

2. Matan Zangauker & Ilana Gritzewsky

Both were kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz. Ilana came home after nearly eight weeks; Matan was held for almost two years. When they reunited in October 2025, the world saw their photo – two souls who had waited, prayed, and hoped. Love doesn’t expire; it endures.

3. Rabbi Leo Dee & Aliza Teplitsky 

When Rabbi Dee lost his wife Lucy and daughters Maia and Rina in a terror attack, he became a symbol of faith through heartbreak. This year he married Aliza Teplitsky. Their marriage isn’t about replacing what was lost, it’s about honoring it. It’s a love story that whispers: You can begin again.

4. Hadas Loewenstern & Hod Reichert 

Hadas lost her husband Elisha z”l, who was killed while rescuing wounded soldiers in Gaza. Hod lost his wife Chagit shortly after childbirth. They lived on the same street in Harish, raising young children and learning to breathe again. Friendship became comfort, and comfort became love. Before leaving for Gaza, Elisha told Hadas, “If something happens to me, remarry as soon as possible.” Even before he was gone, he blessed her healing.

5. Naomi Haimov & Avner Yosefi

Naomi’s husband Aharon, an MDA ambulance driver, was murdered on October 7 while saving lives in Ofakim. Left with two young children at 25, she didn’t think she could laugh or love again. This year she became engaged to Avner Yosefi, a Jerusalem kashrut supervisor whose gentle strength brought light back into her life. Their love doesn’t erase Aharon’s memory, it honors it.

6. Rachel Goldberg & Aminadav Rotenberg 

Rachel lost her husband Avi Goldberg z”l – a rabbi and IDF Captain who fell in Lebanon last year – father of her eight children. In a Torah class for widows, she met Aminadav Rotenberg, a fellow educator and widower who had worked with her late husband. Their bond grew slowly and naturally, honoring their pasts together.

7. Odeya Atiya-Fenigstein & Elhanan Atiya 

Odeya lost her husband Sgt. Maoz Fenigstein in Gaza, leaving her with a three-month-old baby. She found love again with Elhanan Atiya, a close friend of Maoz. Their wedding was filled with tears and joy – a reminder that sometimes the same people who help you mourn help you live again.

8. Noa Argamani & Avinatan Or 

The world saw the footage: Noa screaming on a motorcycle, crying out for her boyfriend as Hamas took them. They were separated – she was rescued in June 2024, he was held for another 16 months. On October 13, 2025, they were finally reunited. Their embrace was the hug of an entire nation that refused to stop hoping.

When love becomes light

Every one of these stories is a candle – some burned through grief, some through fear, but all brought light. Like the oil that kept burning, these miracles remind us: love doesn’t arrive on our timeline, but it always arrives right on time.

As you light your menorah this year, may every heart waiting for its match keep believing, keep hoping, and see the miracles already unfolding.

 

Aleeza Ben Shalom is a soulmate clarity coach. She was on Netflix’s “Jewish Matchmaking” and is an in-demand speaker, expert, and author of numerous books. She leads the Jewish Matchmaking Movement, in partnership with World Mizrachi.

The Jewish Matchmaking Movement is an exciting global collaboration between World Mizrachi and Aleeza Ben Shalom to guarantee future Jewish generations.