How I Met Your Eemah (Mother): A Q&A with Elise and David Saltzberg

Love and Romance. That’s right. Elise and David Saltzberg found each other thanks to The Associated. They talk about how it was actually their love of diamonds that ultimately drew them together, but it’s not what you may think.

In this Q&A, Elise and David explain how they met, fell in love and built a life rooted in shared values, mutual passions, and, of course, a love for baseball.

How did you two first meet?

David: We met in 1988. I was involved with the Young Executives and Professionals Division of The Associated, where I co-chaired the outreach committee. Elise attended a program I hosted at my house for people new to Baltimore.

Elise: He told me later that the real reason he wanted to co-chair the outreach committee was so he could meet all the Jewish women moving to Baltimore!

What brought you to Baltimore, Elise?

Elise: I had been living in a small town in Indiana for eight years, and I wanted to move somewhere with a larger Jewish community. Everyone kept telling me, “Go to Baltimore—it has a great Jewish community!” So, I did, and I quickly heard about The Associated. That’s how I ended up at David’s event.

What was your first impression of each other?

David: I realized quickly that Elise was into baseball, which is one of my biggest passions. That caught my attention.

Elise: I thought he was kind of cute—and he was a professor at a medical school, which was impressive. But what stood out was his knowledge of baseball. I didn’t necessarily agree with all of his player assessments, though!

How did your first “date” happen?

David: I had tickets to the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra at the Meyerhoff that I’d purchased weeks earlier. Since Elise lived nearby, I told her that as part of my outreach duties, I’d been “assigned” to invite her (along with others) to the concert.

Elise: I just assumed we’d meet up with the other people at intermission or something. It wasn’t until the concert ended and we started walking back to my house that I realized there weren’t any other people.

How did the proposal happen?

Elise: After about a year and a half of dating, I gave David an ultimatum: either we get married, or I was moving to Washington, D.C., where I worked and commuted to daily. My lease in Baltimore was about to expire, and I needed to make a decision.

David: I made reservations at Tio Pepe’s for what Elise thought was going to be a regular dinner. The day before, I called in “sick” to work for the first time, so I could prepare. I bought balloons and champagne to set the scene for when she came over after work.

Elise: When he called out sick, I knew something was up—he never missed work. The next night at Tio Pepe’s, we celebrated our engagement.

How did your families react to the engagement?

David: Her father, who was from the Bronx, joked that this was a “mixed marriage”—a Yankees fan marrying a Red Sox fan. But over time, we all made it work!

Elise: Baseball was always part of our story. After we got married, we even went to Cooperstown together for Rickey Henderson’s induction into the Hall of Fame. That was special because he was one of the players we debated about when we first met.

How has your relationship evolved over the years?

Elise: Once we had kids, things got more complicated. Being Baltimore natives, our children became Orioles fans, so we had to put our Yankees and Red Sox loyalties aside and embrace the O’s as a family.

David: We’ve built a life that balances our passions with our commitment to the Jewish community. Elise is active in fundraising, and I’m involved in the JCC. Our Passover Seders have become a big tradition, bringing family and friends together every year.

Q: What role does The Associated continue to play in your life?

Elise: I’m on the Life and Legacy Committee. David is in the Presidents’ Circle at Na’alah and an active member of the JCC. Our oldest son is active with the Young Adult Division.

And baseball?

David: We have been Orioles season ticket holders for 35 years. In the summer of 2023, we went a baseball road trip and visited five stadiums in five days.

This blog was originally shared as an episode on The Associated’s “Pull Up A Chair” podcast and has recently been updated to reflect new insights and milestones in Elise and David’s lives.