(Courtesy of Auntie Matchmaking) The “shidduch crisis” as we know it is really nothing new. As since the times of Avraham Avinu, Jews have faced the challenge of finding the right spouse.

The Auntie Matchmaking app, out of Kew Gardens Hills, and under the rabbinical oversight of Rabbi Daniel Rosenfelt of YIKGH, puts parents in the driver’s seat and empowers them to help their loved ones find their bashert. Unlike most dating apps which are for the singles themselves, Auntie is not for singles at all. Rather, Auntie is based on the rabbinic dictum (Bava Kama 92a) שֶׁכָּל הַמְבַקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל חֲבֵרוֹ וְהוּא צָרִיךְ לְאוֹתוֹ דָבָר, הוּא נַעֲנֶה תְחִלָּה, that one who davens for someone else and is in similar straits will be answered first. This concept of davening for somebody else is in contrast to the typical Jewish dating app, which mimics secular dating apps and provides a platform for young Jewish singles to meet.

Auntie Matchmaking, on the other hand, employs Jewish concepts from the time of Avraham himself, tackling the shidduch crisis from a genuinely new direction. It is made primarily for parents to play the role of shadchan and matchmaker for their children, but it is also available to professional matchmakers, family members and even friends. Anyone who would assist in finding a shidduch for someone they care about.

Unfortunately, there are too many singles for whom family and friends want nothing more than to find their bashert. Auntie is a way of spending a few minutes to try and help connect a single friend or family member.

According to Rabbi Rosenfelt, “As rabbis, we try our hardest to help singles in our community. Auntie is an incredibly user-friendly app that empowers you to act as a shadchan and help singles find someone. We are blessed to have Auntie as a resource to help with shidduchim in the Jewish community.”

Auntie Matchmaking is currently available for Apple iPhone users only in the app store. It is in its earliest testing stages, so expect it to be imperfect and changing daily as the developers get valuable feedback from users. An app is only as good as its community, so consider getting friends and family together to use Auntie! Every user will automatically be entered in a $300 Amazon raffle. Please contact [email protected] with any questions or comments.

May it be in the merit of helping someone else find a shidduch that your tefillos are answered as well!