Editor’s note: Welcome to the second installment of our new column, “Dating Perspectives.” The column will feature various shadchanim writing about any aspect of shidduchim that they feel strongly about. We also invite others to write – whether parents, singles, rebbeim, or teachers. If you have an opinion or a story – here’s your chance to get it out there. Contact us at adswww@aol.com.

Just this week, a good friend and fellow shadchan was bemoaning the fact that people do not consider paying shadchanus important and that something needs to be done about it. She then shared with me that The Shidduch Center of Baltimore was actually in the midst of addressing this very issue and would be publishing guidelines for the community soon. Honestly, I have always had mixed feelings about this. Don’t get me wrong, I do feel that a shadchan should be paid for his or her services, but I have had many different experiences with this over the last 40 years of people being incredibly, embarrassingly generous and those who simply forgot or didn’t think they had any reason to pay me.

“Your pantry saved me during such a difficult time…”

“Saying thank you is not enough…”

“Mi ke’amcha Yisrael…”

“I have no words…”

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Bikur Cholim of Baltimore has earned a reputation for providing numerous essential resources and constant support to the cholim (sick) of Baltimore. One of the organization’s most utilized services is the Bikur Cholim Hospitality Rooms found in multiple local hospitals. These pantries provide a wide variety of kosher food, free-of-charge, to families as they tend to their loved ones.

Recently, Karen Katz found herself in a hospital with a family member who needed medical attention. Unable to go home, she made her way to Bikur Cholim’s Hospitality Room and found a comfortable room that provided food, reading material, and, most of all, a place to relax and reenergize. With the desire to publicize this service, Karen approached me to write an article about Bikur Cholim’s Hospitality Rooms. As a Bikur Cholim volunteer myself, I thought writing this article would be a piece of cake. But as I began to research, I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of chesed Bikur Cholim of Baltimore does every day via its Hospitality Rooms. Moreover, I was astounded by the sheer number of volunteers and donors who keep the pantries running and fully stocked 24/7.