Staying Friends After Rejection

Join us for another episode of Matchmaker Matchmaker where your hosts, Aleeza Ben Shalom and Rabbi Yisroel Bernath dive into a heartfelt query from Yosef, who is facing the challenge of unrequited love with a friend. The episode explores the delicate balance of maintaining a friendship while dealing with romantic feelings that aren't reciprocated.

Key Points:
Respecting the Friend's Decision: Aleeza Ben Shalom stresses the importance of respecting the friend's feelings and decision to remain just friends, highlighting how essential it is to honor these boundaries.

Timing for Reapproaching: Aleeza Ben Shalom advises waiting at least six months before considering to express feelings again, suggesting a gentle approach to see if the dynamics might have changed, without applying pressure.

The Importance of Moving On: Rabbi Yisroel Bernath emphasizes the necessity for Yosef to focus on moving forward, recommending that he explore other romantic possibilities instead of waiting for his friend’s feelings to change.

Taking Time for Self-Reflection: Both hosts agree on the benefits of Yosef taking some time away from the friendship if needed, to mitigate emotional pain and to make space for new, reciprocative relationships.