I read out the flyer.

It was too compelling to be dismissed so fast.

“You don’t think it’ll be… odd… if two single girls come along?”

“So let’s get more. A whole group of us.”

I spent the next Sunday on the phone and by the end of the day I had a group of us prepared to attend. It was a fantastic Shabbos — fun and inspiring with a pinch of exhilaration that we’d gone for what we wanted.

Two years later I had moved out of my childhood home and was working and living in a city a few hours away from my family. It was a fantastic neighborhood and I was busy working volunteering and spending time with friends — as well as shidduchim of course. Moving away from home was a big step but most of my childhood friends were married and many had kids. I felt like they had moved on in life while in my new area there were so many girls like me. It was a good move.

I’m the kind of person who wants to connect — if I read a good book I want to be in touch with the writer. When I read Aharon Margalit’s heart-wrenching autobiography I found his e-mail address and wrote to tell him how much the book had affected me.

When a friend sent me a shiur from an inspirational speaker in America and I was blown away by the depth and the humor I knew I had to speak to her. A little sleuthing got me her number and I called introduced myself and we started talking. In the course of the conversation I threw out a question: Would you ever consider coming to England to talk? “Sure ” she said.

I put down the phone on a high although I didn’t think it would ever really happen.

Malkie had been hooked on this speaker for years and thought that if she gave me a push it might just materialize. Without even considering the words that came out my mouth I said “Great let’s do it together.”

And that’s how our weekend getaway for singles was born.