Shidduch crisis

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]

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.

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]

• Jewish view of marriage
• Matchmaking
• Shidduch
• Shadchan (matchmaker)
• Role of women in Judaism