The shidduch crisis is a commonly observed and discussed
phenomenon in the
Orthodox Jewish
Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...
community whereby eligible single persons, especially women or Sephardim, have difficulty finding a suitable spouse, or a
shidduch
The ''Shidduch'' ( he, שִׁדּוּךְ, pl. ''shidduchim'' , Aramaic ) is a system of matchmaking in which Jewish singles are introduced to one another in Orthodox Jewish communities for the purpose of marriage.
The practice
In the past and ...
. Debate exists as to whether the crisis actually exists or is a new phenomenon.
Causes and solutions
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 at which they get married.
However, this is widely disputed.
Several initiatives in various Orthodox Jewish communities exist which try to close the age gap by offering rewards for
shadchanim
The ''Shidduch'' ( he, שִׁדּוּךְ, pl. ''shidduchim'' , Aramaic ) is a system of matchmaking in which Jewish singles are introduced to one another in Orthodox Jewish communities for the purpose of marriage.
The practice
In the past and ...
who set up men with women of the same age or older.
Other causes cited include the increased scrutiny placed on eligible women
and the shidduch system in general.
Pandemic revolution of online shidduch
During the
pandemic of COVID-19, prolonged
lockdown, and popularisation of mobile apps and online video calls, in-person dating and meeting new people became challenging. In these circumstances, the internet-based shidduch regained its popularity not only among the Orthodox Jews, but also among the non-religious Jews. This new dynamic has been proclaimed "the Shidduch Revolution".
See also
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Jewish view of marriage
Marriage in Judaism is the documentation of a contract between a Jewish man and a Jewish woman in which God is involved. In Judaism, a marriage can end either because of a divorce document given by the man to his wife, or by the death of eit ...
*
Matchmaking
*
Shidduch
The ''Shidduch'' ( he, שִׁדּוּךְ, pl. ''shidduchim'' , Aramaic ) is a system of matchmaking in which Jewish singles are introduced to one another in Orthodox Jewish communities for the purpose of marriage.
The practice
In the past and ...
*
Shadchan
The ''Shidduch'' ( he, שִׁדּוּךְ, pl. ''shidduchim'' , Aramaic ) is a system of matchmaking in which Jewish singles are introduced to one another in Orthodox Jewish communities for the purpose of marriage.
The practice
In the past and ...
(matchmaker)
*
Role of women in Judaism
The role of women in Judaism is determined by the Hebrew Bible, the Oral Law (the corpus of rabbinic literature), by custom, and by cultural factors. Although the Hebrew Bible and rabbinic literature mention various female role models, religio ...
References
{{Jewish life
Intimate relationships
Jewish marital law
Dating
Matchmaking
Jewish life cycle
Orthodox Judaism