Two matches made ‘IRL’—no screens required.

For many couples, it’s love at first…swipe. Likes and comments on prompts break the ice and a match leads to a first date. There’s no need to go to a bar or a community Shabbat! Your “meet cute” is just a few scrolls away.

During this digital dating era, however, some singles find success through a more traditional approach. Meet two couples who fell in love without their screens thanks to the help of family members turned matchmakers. 

Beshert at a senior living facility 

Erica Mash’s love story started at a senior living community; she wasn’t a resident, though. Originally from Lexington, Ky., she had moved to Chicago after college and was working as the activities director at the facility. 

She was single and trying to meet eligible bachelors, but spending most of her time with the residents. She said she thought dating was a numbers game. She tried the app JDate and even went on a Jewish trip. As it turned out, her connection was nearby.

Erica befriended a resident in her 90s named Shayne Kroll, short for “Shayna Punim,” along with her 99-year-old sister Rose Rottstin. 

Shayne suggested Erica “put on makeup and a dress,” and meet her grandson Jeremy. They went on a first date at the Sofitel Hotel. 

“We got engaged six months later,” Erica said. “It was beshert , it was clearly fate. We were supposed to be together.” 

Erica and Jeremy got married in the Bahamas in 2011. It would not have been complete without their matchmakers. So-even though they met without the help of technology-Erica and Jeremy stood under the chuppah , with Shayne and Rose joining on Facetime, with the other residents viewing a live stream. 

“The whole community was invited,” Erica said. “It was really sweet.”

Shayne’s memory lives on through Erica and Jeremy’s daughter Sophie. “Her Hebrew name is Shayna,” Erica said.

Beshert on a Mediterranean cruise   

Marcy Fein’s love story started on a Mediterranean cruise in 2001. She was on a trip with relatives, but went solo on an excursion in Greece. There, she met a couple from Cleveland, Bob and Marcia Fein. Marcy offered to help take their picture and then they spent the day together. 

“We hit it off,” Marcy said. 

Back on the boat, the trio exchanged emails and kept in touch after the cruise. In one of their email exchanges, Marcia suggested Marcy meet her son Todd in Washington, D.C. 

“I was thinking, ‘I always liked the parents,'” Marcy said. So, shemet Todd in April 2004.

They had a lot in common and “things were just clicking,” Marcy said. They even took a picture that night. “It’s not very often that you have a picture of the night that you met your future soulmate,” she added. 

Back in Chicago, Marcy emailed Marcia and Bob, thanking them for connecting her with their son, and invited them to the Old Town Art Fair. They visited Chicago in June and spent time with Marcy and her parents. 

Then Marcy visited Cleveland in October. She even slept in Todd’s childhood room. 

Cut to 2009. ”I had a double spinal fusion. I was pain-free for the first time in a decade or two, and I realized I am not afraid of anything,” Marcy said. “I need to be laser-focused and intentional now because I’m in my late 30s and I want to get married. I want to be a mom.” 

Marcy decided to reconnect with Todd. She flew to D.C. and told Todd during dinner, “I’ve known I’ve liked you since the night I met you.” They spent time together in D.C., Chicago, New York, and Los Angeles.

Marcy and Todd got engaged-where else-on a cruise ship. Their wedding venue only had one open slot, on August 11, 2012. Which just happened to be Marcia and Bob’s anniversary. 

The couple had a son in 2013, and later, welcomed twins.

“It was beshert ,” Marcy said.

Elyssa Kaufman is a Digital News Producer at CBS Chicago.