“I’m not saving myself for marriage, but I am saving myself for my one, because I see the sexual act as something very deep and spiritual — a soulful connection, not just physical. There are bizarre men who ask on the first date, ‘How many men have you slept with?’ Most ask about previous relationships, which is legitimate, and I answer honestly that I haven’t had any. They’re surprised and ask why, and I say that I simply haven’t fallen in love yet. I want the next man I meet to be my husband,” says Liel Suleiman, 24, from Ramat Gan.
Liel is a self-expression mentor who teaches personal branding courses on social media. She loves art — dancing, writing, painting, creating content and shopping. She defines herself as “a single woman with an open heart and healthy standards” and says she is goal-oriented when it comes to finding a relationship.
“I’ve gone on dates and kissed, but I’ve never fallen in love with a man. I grew up in a religious girls’ school and had no interaction with men until I was 16. I’m not religious, but I study the wisdom of Kabbalah and see the spiritual essence in everything. Lately I really want a relationship. More than that, I want to find my husband, and it’s not simple," she laments.
“I look like someone men would approach, but usually they don’t contact me on social media and I don’t go out much. A few days ago, I said to the Creator: ‘I don’t go out and I don’t use apps, so find me a way to meet someone,’ and the next day you messaged me and invited me to take part in this column," she said.
“I have this expectation of skipping all the stages and jumping straight to the wedding. I’ve been waiting for a relationship since I was 20, and I’ve encountered a lot of jerks and dishonesty, and tried to understand what lesson each one was meant to teach me. I work on my character traits and do inner work, and I expect no less from my man. I truly believe I will receive what I want, and I do a lot of negotiating with God. What does He want for us? Just that we be happy.
“People advise me to compromise on my standards, but for some reason, I have certainty in the Creator’s light — that if I exist, then someone like me exists in a man as well. I’m looking for a man who makes an impact, not someone who comes home from work and Netflix is the highlight of his day — someone connected to the Creator out of love, not fear. If he studies Kabbalah or Tanya, that’s a bonus," she describes.
“He needs to be generous with the world, love to give, to help and to change things for the better. I believe we should share a vision of making a positive impact. We won’t be a banal couple but a king and queen," Liel asserts. "I’m going to bring him insane abundance just by my presence. It’s important that he be a leading man, a natural-born leader and assertive — and at the same time someone who has done emotional work, who knows how to contain others, who has kind, deep eyes, a beautiful smile and who is well-groomed and in shape.”
Are there men who are put off by the fact that you haven't been in a relationship before?
“Some are afraid and prefer someone with experience. Some think it means I struggle to open up to love, even though I feel I come with a very open heart. My man won’t be intimidated; he’ll respect it. I believe he guards his energy the way I guard mine.
“I don’t date playboys. It turns me off when a man sleeps with many women — just as it turns men off when women sleep with many men. The word ‘man’ in Hebrew comes from ‘to overcome’ — to overcome impulses and desires. Invest your masculine energy in building yourself, your career and making an impact. I trust my intuition deeply. I sense who stands in front of me and when a man is interested in my body versus when he truly wants to see me. Still, there were times when self-doubt crept in.”
What kind of self-doubt?
“I asked myself: Maybe something is wrong with me? Maybe this is rooted in some trauma? I used to get angry and ask: What kind of soul contract did I sign when it comes to relationships? I don’t want to wait. Today I understand that if I were meant to fall in love, it would have happened already. I’ve concluded that there’s nothing wrong with me and that there’s a time for everything.
“When you walk aligned with your truth, everything falls into place — and sometimes your truth is simply not being in a relationship right now. Some people force themselves to fall in love just to check a box because of social pressure, and later regret it. I don’t need to feel guilt or shame if I haven’t slept with someone or had a fling. Love doesn’t come in only one form, and everyone has their own precise path. I’m happy with mine, I make my effort and I patiently wait for love.”
What is love to you?
“Choosing each other every day anew, growing together and feeling I have a home in someone’s heart.”
Do you believe in love at first sight?
“Yes. There are connections the soul recognizes long before the mind understands what’s happening.”
When was the last time your heart was broken?
“Not long ago, when I realized a connection I really hoped for wouldn’t materialize.”
What have you learned about yourself in relationships?
“That I love fully, invest in the people I love and lift them up with me.”
What’s the most important ingredient in a relationship?
“Open communication and self-awareness.”
What insults you?
“When a man doesn’t put thought into a date. It makes me feel not truly desired.”
In your fantasy, what does your ideal partner look like?
“I see a king beside me and I’m the queen. We build not just a family unit but a legacy and an empire, spreading light, helping people, experiencing extraordinary things and living this incarnation to the fullest.”
Any deal breakers?
“Not connected to the Creator, stingy and lacking emotional intelligence.”
Smoker?
“No.”
Age range?
“26–32.”
Would you consider a divorced man, with or without children?
“A divorced man who has learned lessons.”
Worst date?
“I showed up well put-together and he came in worn, neglected clothes, looking nothing like his Instagram photos. His car was filled with dolls and my stomach turned. I felt like I was in the car with a psycho. At the restaurant, he yelled at the waitress, acted strange and asked to split the bill.”
Describe your perfect date.
"Bowling, rock climbing, billiards — anywhere I can see his inner child in action. After he loses to me, we’ll sit and have a good conversation.”
Should a man pay on the first date?
“Of course. You pay for the date and I’ll leave you with a smile that doesn’t fade all evening.”
What do you do in your free time?
"Art and creativity — filming content, writing, dancing, going out with friends and studying Kabbalah.”
Favorite place?
“My home. It’s my temple.”
What makes you laugh?
“People with loud, rolling laughter who are aliens like me.”
When did you last cry and why?
“Yesterday. I was exhausted and drained of energy, and a friend really saw me — it moved me.”
How close are you to your family?
“I love them and initiate gatherings that bring us closer. Family is very important to me.”
Who were you in a past life?
“Someone who was burned at the stake for speaking her truth.”
Last series you binge-watched?
“The Homewrecker and Friends.”
What music do you listen to?
“R&B, jazz, Beyoncé, Nicki Minaj — and spiritual music.”
Tell us something no one knows about you.
“Sometimes I stand in front of the mirror and invent scenes and characters as if I’m in a movie.”
How would your friends describe you?
“Warm, deep, creative, funny, with a huge heart — someone who makes everyone feel at home.”
What do you do on Friday nights?
“Kiddush with family or alone at home — just me and the Creator. I don’t go out on Friday nights.”
So where can someone approach you?
“Preferably face to face — at spiritual retreats or entrepreneur seminars. Instagram works too.”
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
“In a deep, soul-rooted relationship, with a family and work that excites me every morning.”