Struggles in the Orthodox Jewish shidduch dating system—A large‐scale qualitative analysis

Bibliographic Data

ID11044752
AuthorsNaomi Rosenbach (0000-0002-9074-3072, Department of Clinical Psychology Hofstra University Hempstead New York USA, corresponding author), Y Sokol (0000-0003-1536-853X, Department of Clinical Psychology Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai New York New York USA), Chayim Rosensweig (0000-0002-8628-7203, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology Yeshiva University New York New York USA), Devorah Bernstein (Department of Clinical Psychology The Feeling Good Institute New York New York USA), Michael J Salamon (0000-0002-6448-0205, Department of Clinical Psychology ADC Psychological Services Hewlett New York USA), Isaac Schechter (0000-0002-4850-6401, Department of Clinical Psychology Achieve Behavioral Health New York New York USA)
Year2023
Volume51
Issue1
Pages486-506
Publication date2023-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Community Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-4392 • E-ISSN: 1520-6629
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1002/jcop.22921
PMID35869957
OpenAlexW4286750298
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited37

Marriage is an important life goal and is highly valued among Orthodox Jews. Shidduch dating refers to the arranged dating system that is typically used within the community. Previous research and anecdotal evidence suggest that the shidduch system has become difficult and challenging for many individuals, yet there is a dearth of evidence on the subject. This study set out to explore issues related to dating and marriage within the Orthodox Jewish community using a large sample size. Participants included 889 Orthodox individuals across diverse demographic groups who responded to an optional question within a larger survey inquiring about their thoughts and experiences on the subject. An inductive qualitative analysis was conducted, and this paper focuses on the seven most prevalent themes that emerged. These themes include issues related to superficial criteria in mate selection, gender segregation, perceived surplus of females, pressure to marry before feeling ready, the formal structure of shidduch dating, the exclusion of specific groups from the process and lack of education in areas of intimacy and sexuality. This study is important in promoting clinical awareness regarding the struggles that many Orthodox Jewish daters face and underscores the need for communal change addressing these issues

Feeling · Geography · Human sexuality · Judaism · Qualitative research · Scale (ratio) · Social science · Sociology · Subject (documents) · Demographic Trends and Gender Preferences · Gender Studies · History · Marriage and Sexual Relationships · Psychology · Reproductive Health and Technologies · Social Psychology

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