Modern Matchmaking: Finding Love in the Digital Age with Lox Club
(Logo courtesy of Lox Club.)
It's with an elevated heart rate. Your pupils dilate as your lungs expand. In milliseconds, you go from mindlessness to complete awareness when you zone in on that person. Your surroundings fade into mist. In the calmness, the person acts as your Gatsbyesque green light as they emanate hope and potential. You are struck with a crush.
(Lurhman, B (Director). (2013). The Great Gatsby. Warner Pictures. © 2013 Bazmark Film III Pty Limited.)
If you're like me, you lose your ability to converse coherently. Your language capabilities devolve into one-word responses. While you might appear calm and collected, your poor friends will hear your emotions erupt when you recount your crush's tone, syntax, and wording. You become the General MacArthur of direct messages as you plan your invasion into their heart.
If you view love as a battlefield, you must understand the terrain. In today’s world, people form connections both online and offline. How can you trust Aphrodite's advice, Byron's ballads, or Shakespeare's sonnets when you operate in a new arena?
(Graphic courtesy of Eva Bee/The Observer.)
In the online dating world, your first impression is a pre-selected photo. If you match with a person, you either wait for a message or take the first step with the generic "hey" or "hi." You then dissect every word and punctuation mark to learn hidden meanings. You become even more addicted to your phone as you wait for the sudden dopamine rush of getting the reply.
(Image courtesy of Shutterstock.)
As society becomes further devoted to technology, dating apps enable users to establish connections beyond geographical boundaries. But who is the person you are talking to? Who is the potential love of your life behind the filtered photo? How can you trust your online paramour?
(Graphic courtesy of Adobe..)
While other apps are home to creeps and catfish, Lox Club offers its members verified profiles and the potential for connection. I spoke with Sam Karshenboym, Head of Operations, to learn more about the app.
(Image courtesy of Lox Club. The picture depicts Sam Karshenboym.)
1. What makes Lox Club different from other apps?
There are a few key differentiators. Lox Club is for Jew-ish people with ridiculously high standards–we’re culturally Jewish (like a deli or a Seinfeld episode), but everyone is welcome to join. We’re also a vetted community, and our Membership Committee reviews every application to screen for red flags.
We know it can be hard to date online, so outside the app itself, we host frequent in-person events in our flagship markets, ranging from pasta-making classes and Broadway shows to happy hours and member-hosted experiences. We’re one of the few apps that offer events and experiences as part of membership because we understand technology is just a facilitator of connection, but there is no real substitute for human interaction. We’re excited to be increasing our event schedule and IRL experiences this year due to high demand.
Lox Club is also announcing a premium membership coming soon, offering concierge matchmaking–the Lox take on old-school matchmaking but even better.
(Image courtesy of Lox Club.)
2. How do you engage with your different stakeholders?
We stay connected through weekly events, social media, and a monthly newsletter, Spielman’s Deli Digest. With respect to current events, we’re facilitating community-driven conversation and sharing ways to support, such as local rallies and donation opportunities.
3. How does Lox Club incorporate its mission and vision into its services?
We’re in a global epidemic of loneliness. Our mission is to bring back the magic of third places–spots outside work and home where people can meet and make authentic connections. We bring this to life through our IRL events and experiences, curated lists of recommended date spots, and in the app itself. We’d love to open a physical Lox Club one day.
(Image courtesy of Lox Club.)
4. How does Lox Club define a successful member interaction?
A successful member interaction is a meaningful connection formed, however that looks. We were really excited to recently make our millionth match in-app. Former members often write in to share how they met their current partner or spouse through Lox Club.
5. What is the future of the company?
Our focus is on helping people connect. Lox Club is expanding its services to other niche communities with the launch of Jade Club and Amara Club and will continue to develop fun new ways to help people meet.
(Image courtesy of Lox Club.)
