01 Is this only for Orthodox Jews?
No. MazelMeet is for the whole spectrum: secular, traditional, Reform, Conservative, Orthodox, and everyone still figuring it out. You set your own level of observance, and we use it only to match you well. Your Shabbat table can be kosher and shomer Shabbat, or Friday-night-dinner-because-savta-did-it. Both are the real thing.
02 What about kosher and Shabbat observance?
Every table says what it is before you sit down. Restaurant tables always mark kosher options. Home tables state the host's kashrut level up front, from strictly kosher to kosher-style, and you choose the table that matches how you keep. That call stays yours, never an algorithm's. If you're shomer Shabbat, home tables were built for you: we group them within walking distance, timing follows Shabbat (Friday night dinner or Shabbat lunch, with Thursday night tables if you'd rather spend Shabbat at your own table), and nothing about the evening requires a phone or a wallet.
03 Who is responsible at a home table?
The host and the guests. MazelMeet makes the introduction and steps back, the same as when a friend seats you at their Shabbat table. The host's home is their own: they set the rules, declare their kashrut level, and decide how their table runs. Guests choose freely and come as guests. Before a home table locks in, host and guests each accept a short acknowledgment that says exactly this: the platform introduces, the people own the evening. No fine print. That is the whole arrangement.
04 Is my data private?
We treat religion-adjacent choices as sensitive information. Cloudflare D1 encrypts the waitlist database at rest and uses TLS in transit. We do not sell personal information or share it for behavioral advertising. The form also records your city, consent versions, referral source, and a short-lived IP rate-limit entry used to prevent abuse. You can start a verified deletion request from the privacy page.
05 When does it launch?
Los Angeles opens first. Every other city has its own race, measured by singles, balance, yentas, and a confirmed city captain. Shabbat Tables come before the full app. Pick your city when you join, then invite people nearby to help it move toward launch.
06 What does it cost?
The waitlist is free. Restaurant tables: you pay the restaurant for your own meal, and we add a small seat fee once we're past the first dinners. Home tables: guests bring a dish or chip in for groceries, settled between you and the host, and we charge nothing for now. Matchmaking will be paid when it launches. We'd rather charge you a fair price than sell your data, and we'll publish prices before asking for a card.
07 I'm not looking to date. Is this for me?
Yes. Half of MazelMeet has nothing to do with romance: Shabbat Tables, the friends lane, and the community calendar. Pick friends or community on the form and you'll never be shown to anyone who's dating. The lanes are separate by design, not by settings.
08 How is this different from dating apps?
No swiping, no feed, no engagement tricks. On a swipe app the product is your attention. Here the product is the meeting itself: a matchmaker who reads your answers, a community that vouches for people, and a chair at a real table on Friday. We win when you stop needing us.