The beginning
Nerdit: “I got married for the first time when I was 18 and a half. I was just a girl in love. The marriage didn’t last, and we divorced after six months. At 20, I re-married and had two children: Tanir, now 27, and Lidar, 26. That marriage ended after 12 years. Two years after the divorce, I joined a dating app hoping to find love again. That’s when I got a message from Barri."
Barri: “When I saw Nerdit’s profile, I liked her right away and we started texting. At the time, I was working for a tech company and had relocated to Portland, in the U.S. I had planned to return to Israel after a year, but once I met Nerdit, everything changed. There was an instant connection between us.”
Falling in love
Nerdit: “After six months of chatting on the app, Barri suggested we talk on the phone. It was the middle of the night for me, but we spoke for hours. The chemistry was incredible. The next day, we moved to video calls, and we the camera stayed on for days, even when we weren’t talking. We were like a married couple living a daily routine, just long-distance."
Barri: “Because of the time difference, we’d talk through the night, and Nerdit would sleep in the morning. Her camera was near her kids’ bedroom, so I’d call out to them to brush their teeth and wake their mom so she could take them to school. At first, I was a bit hesitant about her having two kids from a previous marriage, but it didn’t stop me, and they welcomed me warmly."
The decision
Nardit: “After three days of intense video calls, we told our families we were in a serious relationship. Ten days after we started talking, we decided to get married. Barri proposed, and I said yes right away. I even told my mom to start growing out her hair for the wedding. My family knows that once I’ve made up my mind, that's final, and they trust me."
Barri: “I’ve never made a decision like that before, but I just knew. My parents were supportive, but only a year ago did I find out they had been worried. Nerdit was divorced, with two kids, and was between jobs at the time. My dad couldn’t understand what I saw in her, but once they met her, they fell for her too."
The first meeting
Nerdit: “Once we decided to get married, Barri bought a ticket to Israel and asked his company to end the relocation. A month after we met online, we saw each other for the first time at the airport. I had butterflies. By then, I felt that even if he got off the plane looking totally different from what I imagined, it wouldn’t matter; I’d already fallen for the person he was. When we met, it was like two magnets drawn to each other. Just like in the movies, we ran to each other and kissed. I still remember what we were wearing."
Barri: “It was so emotional. When I came out to the arrivals hall, I didn’t see anything except the woman in red standing in front of me. That same day, Tanir, Nerdit’s eldest, had a ballet recital. I went to the show with Nerdit, and it was the first time I met the kids. Her parents and ex-husband were there too. It was a little awkward, but I got through it. I immediately connected with her children; they see me as their second father."
Nardit: “Barri didn’t tell his family he was flying in, since he was only staying a week and wanted to spend it with me. But a few days after he landed was his birthday, so I planned a surprise party with his family. I called his mom and said, ‘Hi, I’m the crazy woman who fell in love with your crazy son. Let’s surprise him.’ I bought him nice clothes and booked a table at a restaurant. When we arrived, his whole family and friends were there. It was amazing. He was completely shocked."
The proposal
Nerdit: “The day after we first met, we went on a vacation in northern Israel. That’s where the official proposal happened. Barri got down on one knee and gave me a ring. We were thrilled. Three days later, he had to return to the U.S. to wrap things up before moving back to Israel. I took him to the airport, and we bought our wedding rings at a jewelry shop there."
Barri: “A month and a half later, I ended the relocation and came back to Israel. Within a month, we put together a beautiful, emotional wedding. Later, we had two children together - Elmor, who’s almost 15, and Atar, 13."
The relationship
Barri: “I love her wild side, how unstoppable she is once she decides on something, and that she’s such a supportive partner."
Nerdit: “I love Barri’s devotion, his kindness, and how He accepts all my idiosyncrasies. This is my third marriage, and I’ve learned firsthand that relationships take work. We make the effort; we schedule a weekly date night, and for our birthdays, we take a 24-hour hotel getaway, dedicating time just for ourselves. That amazing connection we felt during those video calls is still alive, even after 18 years."
Barri: “To this day, when we talk about our love story, people are in shock. They can’t believe something like this could really happen. But it gives them hope."