JDate and the Synagogue - Spring 2008

A few weeks ago, I looked into my mailbox at Temple and found a letter from JDate, by far the most successful Jewish dating site. After resisting an impulse to toss it into the “circular file” (a.k.a. the recycling bin), I sat down and opened the letter. It included a press release and a special offer worthy of consideration. The letter asked if the clergy and the congregation were interested in a reduced membership rate for our Temple’s Jewish singles.

You should know I’m definitely a fan of JDate. A growing number of couples in our congregation have met online, many of them specifically on JDate. While I was a rabbinical student at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati, OH, I met my future wife Ida on JDate! She was living in Dayton at the time.

Back then the rules of JDate were much simpler. You could look at any number of pictures and/or profiles free of charge. If you wanted to get in touch with a particular girl or guy, you were able to send a few emails before you needed to join. Not so today. Now only certain pictures are shown to non-members. Otherwise you need to start a membership. There are also newer features such as hot links and chat rooms. It seems that progress and innovation continue to rule the day.    
 

I’m sure that many of you are aware of the rise of interfaith dating and marriage in the American Jewish community. Presently, almost half of American Jews marry non-Jews, a rate of exodus that has more than tripled since 1970. It’s a sensitive issue for clergy and congregants alike. The question of whether or not to exclusively date Jews is of course a personal one. I know it’s an important issue that Jewish students on campus face at one time or another.

In response to the current dating trends of Jewish young adults, two powerful forces in the Jewish community are teaming up to make Jewish dating more financially attractive: Rabbis and JDate. For the first time in its 10-year history, JDate is offering a bulk rate to rabbis who want to buy membership accounts for their congregants. Singles who sign up through their congregation get a slight discount on the site’s $149 six-month subscription fee.

To be sure, while certain individuals may object to the idea of synagogues becoming yentas or matchmakers, I feel this initiative from JDate is both innovative and unique. At the very least, this partnership creates a wonderful opportunity for Jewish singles to seek out companionship, friendship, and love in the digital age.  

After contacting JDate, we learned that our congregation does not qualify for the special bulk rate. However, I would like to make a special offer to our Temple Chai college students. Because I believe so strongly in the importance of Jews dating Jews, I am willing to pay the first month of a JDate subscription for the first twenty Temple Chai college students that contact me via email. I invite you to consider taking advantage of this offer. 

Who knows, you may well find your b’shert or soul mate on JDate too…

Sincerely,

Rabbi Berger