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Shidduch crisis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The shidduch crisis is a phenomenon in the Orthodox Jewish community whereby eligible single persons, especially women or Sephardim, have difficulty finding a suitable spouse, or a shidduch.[1][2][3] There is some debate about the severity of the crisis and whether it is a recent development or a long-extant issue.[4]

Causes and solutions

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Several causes have been cited for the shidduch crisis, but it is most commonly attributed to the average age gap between Orthodox Jewish women and men when they marry.[5] Some members of the community dispute this as the root cause.[6][7][8] Several initiatives in various Orthodox Jewish communities exist to close the age gap by offering rewards for shadchanim who make matches between men with women of approximately the same age.[9]

Other possible causes include the increased scrutiny placed on eligible women[10] and the shidduch system in general.[11]

One possible solution is to have mixed seating at weddings. As friends of the two spouses will often have many common interests.

Pandemic and online shidduch

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, prolonged lockdown, and popularisation of mobile apps and online video calls, in-person dating and meeting new people became more challenging.[12] In these circumstances, the internet-based shidduch regained its popularity not only among Orthodox Jews, but also among non-religious Jews.[13][14][15][16] This new dynamic has been referred to as "the Shidduch Revolution".[17]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-08-16. Retrieved 2015-05-11.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. ^ Salamon, Michael J. (2008). The Shidduch Crisis: Causes and Cures. Urim Publications. ISBN 978-9655240061.
  3. ^ "Shidduch Crisis - Mikvah.org - Mivtza Taharas Hamishpacha". mikvah.org. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  4. ^ "Opinion: There is NO Shidduch Crisis – Mazal Tov!". thelakewoodscoop.com. 24 December 2012. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  5. ^ "Yated Newspaper - Understanding The Shidduch Crisis-Answering The Nisayon". Archived from the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  6. ^ "The Matzav Shmoooze: Why Solving the Shidduch Crisis With the Age Gap Misses the Boat". matzav.com. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  7. ^ "The Partial View: The Shidduch crisis is not a result of the age gap or numbers". 13 August 2014. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  8. ^ "Orthonomics: Guest Post: The Age Gap Theory". 10 May 2010.
  9. ^ "The Shidduch Project – NASI Project". shidduchproject.com. 16 September 2014. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  10. ^ "Life After Stern College: Different approaches to "The Shidduch Crisis": Analyzing the causes and solutions". lifeaftersterncollege.blogspot.ca. 26 May 2010. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  11. ^ "YUTorah Online". yutorah.org. Retrieved 2016-07-28.
  12. ^ "Safety Guidelines for In-person Dating During COVID-19". KolHaCovid. 2020-05-15. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  13. ^ "How the Pandemic Shaped Jewish Dating". The Commentator. 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  14. ^ "Matchmakers in an age of pandemic". www.thejc.com. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  15. ^ "Opinion | Coronavirus lockdown meant a break from shidduch pressure — until it didn't". The Forward. 8 May 2020. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  16. ^ Walters, Louisa (15 October 2020). "Tradition! In a time of pandemic, singletons ditch dating apps for matchmakers". jewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
  17. ^ "Coronavirus Spurs Jewish Dating Revolution". The Media Line. 2020-05-11. Retrieved 2021-02-03.