this piece brings up a larger issue: the process of figuring out what a good match is, in relationship or marriage. Since moving to Israel I have become somewhat, slightly, religious, and some of the ideas of the religious world about dating do seem to have an awful lot of validity.

Particularly, 'birur': clarifying. First for yourself: what do you want, what do you not want, where do you 'hold' religiously and what would you be open to in a partner. The answers can be anywhere from 'haredi' to 'I'm not religious at all' but the important thing is to KNOW at least the ballpark of an answer. Politics with respect to Israel, however much one would like to think otherwise, IS an essential aspect of 'religious' belief.

The sooner that these answers are figured out, both for yourself and for what you want in a partner, the quicker decisions can be made about how to accomodate difference.