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GODSEND | LEAH HAKIMIANGetting fit, finding love at JCC gym
What does Zvi Manor have in common with Jerry Seinfeld? They both met their wives-to-be at the gym. Zvi Manor, a Jerusalemite, moved to New York in 1999 "to accomplish his own thing in his own space and to see how far he could get." He worked hard and he played hard. Meeting women was not a problem for an attractive 24 year-old Israeli guy. But his Rumanian-born mother, Nadia, was concerned that he wasn't meeting the "right women." After she read an article in the Israeli press about the JCC of Manhattan on 76th Street, she urged Zvi to join. He was working out anyway; why not try the gym at this particular JCC. As a favor to his mom, he agreed. He came for the fitness training, but soon he began to notice the fitness director, Dafna, a vibrant, young woman about his age, who came on as very friendly. In fact, it was Dafna's job to be friendly and courteous with all the clients of the gym. Anyway, she was in a relationship with an American guy, which perfectly suited her. Since her move to New York in 2000, she made a conscious decision NOT to date Israeli men. "I was turned off by Israeli guys," said Dafna. To some people, this seemed a bit strange, since Dafna herself was Israeli. Dafna Levine was born in Jerusalem, the 4th child of American-born parents, Professor Lee and Myra Levine. She was brought up in a bi-lingual environment - speaking English at home with her family, and speaking Hebrew outside. She was comfortable as a Jew and as an Israeli. She was also comfortable in an American environment. For six months, Zvi and Dafna noticed each other at the gym, but there was no personal interaction. Only after her American relationship ended did Dafna start to notice Zvi in a different way, and then they began to "really talk." Ten months after Zvi joined the gym, he and Dafna went out on their first date. "In 2002 I finally dropped my boundaries," recalls Dafna. Is the gym a popular place to meet? According to a Forbes on-line survey about the best places for singles to meet, the gym was rated 5% alongside of grocery stores (5%), charity events (4%) and weddings (4%) "When you meet someone at the gym, remarks Dafna, you know that you share a healthy life-style. It's also apparent that - what you see is what you get, sweat and all. What are JCC's doing to help young people meet? "The JCC has entered into partnerships, responds Phil Miller Vice President, JCC of Greater Baltimore."We partner with local Federations and congregations to sponsor events; we partner with jdate; and we partner with Geshrcity.com to bridge young adults to the Jewish community by helping to build personal networks." Dafna Levine and Zvi Manor share a healthy lifestyle and enjoy the same outdoor activities – running, hiking, and kayaking. In other ways they are different. Dafna explains: "Zvi is the entrepreneur – the go-getter, the visionary. Zvi has tremendous drive; his mind is constantly going; and he is totally self-taught. I am the enabler, providing the stability and the support." Though they have different personalities, and come from different points on the religious spectrum – Zvi is a secular Israeli while Dafna has a traditional background - both share a commitment to tzedaka. On behalf of his company, Manor Moving and Storage, Zvi, a champion table tennis player, recently donated the expenses for a 14 year-old table tennis player to participate in local and regional tournaments. Zvi and Dafna both came to the US with the same personal goal of "exploring themselves and their capabilities away from their home environments." Since their engagement in February 2006, they are setting new goals for themselves. For their wedding, they chose a Reform ketubah which says: "May our love provide us with the freedom to be ourselves, and the courage to follow our mutual and individual paths." Dafna Levine and Zvi Manor are to be married on March 25, 2007. Mazal tov.
Read past installments of Leah Hakimian's column, 'Godsend'
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