Smash Hit Vort's Legendary Matchmaker Spills Her Secrets

Sarah Pacther, former top journalist, bestselling author, PR powerhouse, and now the most famous shadchanit (matchmaker) in the country thanks to Channel 13’s smash hit “Vort” just gave the juiciest, most heartfelt interview of the year on the Srugim podcast, and she held absolutely nothing back.

Here’s everything she revealed:

She made her very first match during her own Sheva Brachot week: spotted a lonely 50-year-old woman in the hotel, instantly thought of a single guy who ate Shabbat meals at her parents’ house, fixed the woman’s hair and outfit, set them up and they got married. “That was it, I was hooked.”

She admits she photoshops people’s pictures before sending them out. “If a girl is gorgeous in person but not photogenic, no guy will meet her if I send the real photo. So yes, I edit, I even did it for my own son. In the middle of their first date he texted me: ‘Mom, I think you sent the wrong picture… but she’s amazing.’ They’re married now.”

On the infamous “grocery lists” (endless checklists of height, salary, neighborhood, degree, etc.): “That’s exactly why you’re still single. Pick ONE thing that really matters and let go of the rest. These lists just close hearts.”

The wildest success story: She was standing in Malha Mall in Jerusalem when a 74-year-old widow approached her, then literally two minutes later a 75-year-old widower walked by. Sarah said, “Why not?” and sent them for coffee at Greg. Two days later they called: “We’re getting married.” She cried on the spot.

Another favorite: Matched a high-powered female doctor with a simple plumber everyone was afraid to suggest. Today they have nine kids. “Titles mean nothing if the hearts click.”

Huge difference between sectors: “Haredi dating is laser-focused, you date to get married. Religious-Zionist dating is more like shopping: tons of dates, tons of fear, tons of overthinking. I tell them: Stop searching for perfection and decide you want to build a home.”

Her controversial advice: Start dating at 18–19. “That’s when your heart is still soft, no baggage, no cynicism, no giant lists. You grow together instead of arriving ‘ready-made.’ Waiting until you’re ‘ready’ is the biggest mistake.”

Don’t compromise on physical attraction (“there has to be that spark in the eyes”), but DO compromise on money, location, and definitely on ethnicity. “I do tons of Sephardi-Ashkenazi matches now and they work beautifully. The old walls are falling, thank God.”

Since “Vort” aired she gets 800 messages a day and sometimes sits and cries at night because she can’t help everyone. That’s why she’s launching “Vorti,” a smart digital platform that connects matchmakers to each other, shares profiles securely, and even gives date discounts. “It’s divine matchmaking gone high-tech.”

Her life philosophy in one sentence: “There are no coincidences in this world, everything is precise divine providence. God sits and makes matches every single day, so apparently this really is a job straight from Heaven.”

Bottom line from Sarah: “Stop waiting for perfect. Go on the date, make the suggestion, open your heart. Every ‘yes’ is another chance at a chuppah.”