The age-old tradition within the strictly-Orthodox community of shidduch – or matchmaking for the purposes of marriage – has been hauled into the 21st century by one Israeli company.
Yismach, launched in 2014, is a database onto which singles can upload their “CVs”, detailing what prospective matches should expect.
Details begin with the basics – including age, education, and a summary of what they desire in a partner – and move on to shul affiliation, a list of character references and even head-covering type.
More than 130 professional shadchanim – or match-makers – in Israel, the United States and Europe are then able to access CVs online.
After meeting individually with a shadchan, a pair can meet. More than 500 couples have found love through Yismach, according to director Shmuel Neumann.
Users make a one-off payment of $50 to Yismach to sign up.
The service has been approved by rabbis Aharon Feldman Shlita and Chaim Walkin Shlita, both of whom are based in Israel, according to Mr Neumann.
He said: “This really comes down to the issue of survival. If we, as Jews, don’t populate the world we are going to be extinct.
“We want to reach the people who have fallen through the cracks, and it works because everyone can access it.
“I would encourage everyone to try it. It’s for people who want to get married, and not just float around.
“And ultimately it is about marriage and having children. Helping to bring children into the world is a fundamental mitzvah for Jewish people.”
Mr Neumann highlighted the difference between Yismach and dating websites and apps, like J-Date and JSwipe, saying it is more like a “very large electronic filing cabinet”, which simply “expedites the process for shadchanim”.
