Benjy Singer has a catchphrase.
‘A connected Jew is a happy Jew’ is his motto and the rationale behind israelb.org, the successful website he runs from his home in Jerusalem.
A former Hasmonean pupil, Mr Singer made Aliyah 12 years ago and believes his site is an invaluable resource for others who are new to Israel – whether they arrive as Olim or tourists.
The ‘b’, if you were wondering, stands for bayit, the Hebrew word for home. “It’s about making Israel your bayit,” said Mr Singer.
The vast online resource covers everything from Shabbat times and where to find a mikveh to listings for babysitters, jobs and even matchmakers.
The site offers a lot for singles – so much so that four couples have married after meeting through it. Families and retirees are also well catered for.
Now Mr Singer, who grew up in Stanmore, is in the UK to try and expand the site’s reach beyond Israel.
“It’s an online Jewish community with events and Jewish news and reflections on what’s happening,” he told the JC. “The advantage of an online community is that it is not restricted geographically. People like it – it’s very user friendly and is also quite entertaining.”
A former English and history teacher, Mr Singer now works in content writing and marketing and also runs workshops on social media and how to create online communities. The site started as a Facebook group, but has grown so much that it now has about 40,000 monthly users across the website and all social media platforms.
“It is a very useful resource both for Olim and people here on holiday, as well as people abroad,” he said.
