Jdate

It only takes a few minutes to sign up to Jdate, even if you take the time to complete all requested details. They will ask for your name, gender, age, zip code, and religious affiliation. Next, you’ll upload your profile pictures. The first must be a clear headshot. You need to upload at least one photo, and you can choose to add up to six total. You will then be asked to write a short biography (there is no minimum word count), followed by details on what you’re looking for.

Browsing other users’ profiles is quite straightforward, as is the process of receiving, sending, and checking messages. You can even see when a message has been read. However, some of these features are only available to premium members. Free members can receive messages but they cannot send replies without signing up for a premium plan.

There are a few stand out features on Jdate that you might not find on the average online dating site:

JDate App

The Jdate app was launched in 2014 and is a great way to access the site, browse its members, and send/receive messages. Given how attached most of us our to our smartphones, the Jdate app is incredibly convenient. This mobile option that is just as streamlined, fast, and simple as the regular site.

Jewish-Focused

Unlike most dating sites, Jdate includes questions (both about yourself and in terms of what you’d like in a partner) that are specifically Jewish-related, such as level of kosher observance (if any), how often you attend synagogue (if at all), and how you identify as a Jew (culturally Jewish, orthodox, reform, etc.).

These nuanced questions help to create better matches. For example, if you consider yourself culturally Jewish but never go to synagogue and enjoy the occasional cheeseburger, you likely wouldn’t do too well in a relationship with an orthodox Jew who is davening (praying) three times a day, not flipping light switches on Shabbat, and only eats at restaurants with a strict kosher certification. It’s incredibly refreshing for a site to recognize that not all Jews are the same and that just by the virtue of two singles being MOT (Members of the Tribe) doesn’t mean that they’re automatically compatible.

That being said, while Jdate was built with Jewish singles in mind, you don’t actually need to be Jewish to join. While some religious Jewish dating sites will ask about your lineage or else request a conversion certificate, Jdate doesn’t do any of this, accepting members all across the Jewish spectrum — along with “willing to convert” and “other.” The full choice of  affiliations to choose from include:

• Conservadox
• Conservative
• Culturally Jewish
• Hasidic
• Modern Orthodox
• Orthodox (Baal Teshuva)
• Orthodox (Frum)
• Reconstructionist
• Reform
• Traditional
• Willing to Convert
• Other

While there are a number of Jews who are open-minded about interfaith relationships, they most likely would feel comfortable signing up on a more mainstream dating site rather than a Jewish-affiliated one, if that was the case. When searching other members’ profiles, you can limit your search to certain affiliations (such as reform and reconstructionist only, or Hasidic only).

Global Reach

Jdate is often thought of as a US-only website, but it actually operates worldwide. The bulk of their users are in the US and Israel, but there are singles in other countries as well. Jdate is also available in several languages, including English, Hebrew, German, Spanish and French. It’s not unusual to find Success Stories on their site that cross state lines or even international borders.

Effective Dating

The nature of Jdate, combined with the fact that more users seem to be looking for serious companionship than casual flings, has led to a high success rate. In fact, a 2011 site-commissioned survey found that 52% of married respondents found their beshert (soulmate) on Jdate.

Life

Jdate members (both free and premium) can access the Jlife community, which hosts success stories, dating advice, and other information relating to Jewish singles. It is a great addition to the site and a good way to see more of the singles on its books.

Jdate is safe and relatively scam-free when compared to other more generalized dating sites. There are scam profiles on here, but no more than usual. Jdate provides a page dedicated to safe online dating. Customer support is available 7 days a week so you can easily report someone who is bothering you, and every profile and photo submitted by Jdate members are reviewed. You can also block users both from the messaging page and from their profile page.