Finding someone to share your life with is not an easy task. And for Jews who want to preserve their culture and heritage by marrying a fellow Jew, the task can be even more difficult. This is one reason why professional Jewish matchmaking is enjoying such a resurgence.
Although it is easy to imagine that well-educated and successful Jews would have no trouble finding a partner to marry, the truth is that often the time they have spent pursuing these commendable goals has not allowed them the time to pursue finding a spouse. People often find themselves in their 30s and 40s suddenly realising that the time left for them to start a family is running out. Rather than wasting any more time by looking for Jewish singles online at one of the many dating sites, it would be time and money better spent to entrust your search to a shadchan, a professional Jewish matchmaker.
The word shadchan is derived from the Aramaic word “sheket,” which means silence or calm. The idea is that the shadchan provides calm and peacefulness to the Jewish singles and their parents who are anxious about finding a good partner for themselves or for their children.
There are various types of Jewish matchmakers. There are some who only work with Orthodox Jews and do things the old fashioned way, following the traditional Jewish laws and procedures that limit mingling between the sexes. Then there are others who are matchmakers for Jews for whom religion is less important than their interest in preserving their cultural traditions. It’s important to find the professional who meets your own personal needs.
To this end, when you begin working with a professional Jewish matchmaker it is important to provide them with as much information about you and what you are looking for as possible. And don’t be reticent to provide them with information you would never tell anyone else. Matchmakers are discreet and will not divulge anything to any third party. But the more your matchmaker knows about you, the more likely you are to be matched with the partner who is just right for you. Matchmaking is an age-old tradition for the Jewish people, and for seasoned Jewish matchmakers, knowing who is right for whom is like a sixth sense.
