The Orthodox Union recently released “The Challenges of Singlehood among American Orthodox Jews Part II,” which focuses on the specific challenges that single Orthodox community members face in their search for a spouse.
Between Feb. 5, 2020, and March 6, 2020, the organization surveyed more than 2,300 single Jews across the Orthodox spectrum who were users of eight Jewish dating applications or singles’ groups.
The report is a follow-up to Part I of the study, which was released in September 2023. It focused on educating the community about what can be done to remedy negative aspects of the single experience, such as reported feelings of blame and judgment.
Part II further identifies what Orthodox singles seek in a partner, their views on varying dating methods and how community members can help them find the right match.
Research findings showed that many Orthodox Jews reported being encouraged to move to the Greater New York area to find a spouse. However, Orthodox men and women already living in the region were not any more confident that they would find a spouse than those not living there.
The report also showed a rejection among Orthodox Jews towards the developing trend in the United States of marrying later in life. Almost 90% of respondents said they believed that marriage would make their lives happier and fuller.
“Our responsibility as brothers and sisters is to be proactively engaged in making sure the other is whole in every way,” Rabbi Moshe Hauer, executive vice president of the Orthodox Union, wrote in the report’s foreword.
Some respondents said they needed help finding a partner; others reported negative and sometimes hurtful experiences using a matchmaker.
“Our intention in publishing this study is the same,” Hauer added. “To lend substance and prominence to our critical responsibility to help the single men and women of our community in their quest to find what they are seeking and to achieve even greater personal strength and fulfillment through marriage.”
In addition to the survey responses, the researchers utilized in-depth interviews with Orthodox single Jews, matchmakers, rabbis, rebbetzins and community leaders.
