“It’s highly unlikely we would have come across each other if we hadn’t met at Hillel,” Alison said.
Sometimes when a Jewish mother wants her daughter to meet some nice Jewish boys, she’ll urge her to mingle with some big Jewish group. But all she really needs to meet is that one special person …
Take Alison Wick. She’d attended an all-girls high school and was “in heaven” meeting “all those lovely boys” at the University of Sheffield in the UK when she enrolled in 1985.
“I was having a great time!” the London native remembered.
Alison’s mother read the writing on the wall and urged Alison to go to Hillel (the Jewish society on campus) to “meet a nice Jewish boy.” Alison balked. She was already meeting plenty of boys, thank you very much, and didn’t want to go somewhere she wouldn’t know anyone.
“Just go once,” her mother said. “For me. What have you got to lose?”
Grudgingly, nervously, Alison finally turned up at Hillel one Friday night near the beginning of her second year. She quickly noticed a “tall, strapping rugby player in a black leather jacket.” He noticed her, too, immediately headed over and stuck like glue by her side for the rest of the night.
Her clothing may have helped her stand out in the crowd. “I was wearing a very distinct outfit,” Alison said. “A blue V-neck sweater and tartan blue pants. It was fashionable at the time! I probably looked a bit silly, but I guess he liked it.”
After the Hillel dinner, the two headed to a disco at the student union and “the boy” immediately scored more points by buying Alison and all her friends a round of drinks.
Knowing how pleased she would be, Alison immediately sat down to write her mother a letter. She wrote, “I met a nice guy… His name’s David Schwartz — I think he’s Jewish.” (With a name like that, it’s a wonder that she included the words ‘I think!’)
Dave grew up in a small Jewish community about 150 miles from London, called Cardiff, which is the capital of Wales. (Yes, same place that William and Kate are prince and princess of, if you follow British royalty.)
“It’s highly unlikely we would have come across each other if we hadn’t met at Hillel,” Alison said.
They married in May 1989.
“I never went to another Hillel event after that. I found my husband, that was it for me!” Alison laughed. “My mother was very happy, too!”
Some years after they were married, Dave was working for a computer consultancy company that did a lot of work with the automotive industry. In 1998, he was working on a project with Ford, which bought the family to Detroit for a “two-year project” — and they’ve been here ever since. Now Dave works for Ford and Alison works in public relations for CKC Agency. The Schwartzes live in West Bloomfield and are members of Adat Shalom Synagogue.
Alison and Dave are parents to Michael, 28, William, 25, and Teddy, 19. And you can bet your toasty crumpets that they enjoy telling their story to their sons and reminding them that all it takes is “just one meeting” to find the love of your life!
This column will appear biweekly. If you’d like to share your “meet-cute” story, please email burstynwithjoy@hotmail.com.