Last night, an important meeting took place in Chicago, where over 50 esteemed roshei yeshiva, roshei kollelim, and rabbanim gathered to discuss the urgent matter of the shidduch crisis.
The meeting, part of an ongoing effort to find solutions, marked the first of four stops on a Midwest trip led by prominent rabbonim: Rav Henoch Shachar, rov of the East End Shul in Lakewood; Rav Uri Deutsch, rov of the Forest Park Shul in Lakewood; Rav Dov Kahan, rov of the Arlington Shul in Lakewood; and Rav Binyomin Cohen, rosh kollel of Kollel Gur Aryeh at Yeshivas Rabbeinu Chaim Berlin, rov of Khal Talmidei Hayeshivos of Flatbush, and author of Chelkas Binyomin.
The Chicago gathering follows a similar one held just days earlier in Brooklyn, which drew over 30 rabbonim, including Rav Elya Brudny, rosh yeshiva of Mirrer Yeshiva; Rav Yisroel Reisman, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Torah Vodaas; Rav Mendel Slomovits, rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Toras Chaim of Lakewood; the Novominsker Rebbe; and Rav Binyomin Cohen.
Similar gatherings have also taken place in Monsey and Far Rockaway as part of a broader effort to address the ongoing shidduch crisis.
The series of meetings are part of a larger, structured plan to combat the growing challenges within the frum dating world. At the core of the discussions is the plan formulated by Rav Moshe Hillel Hirsch, rosh yeshiva of Yeshivas Slabodka in Bnei Brak, who has been at the forefront of efforts to address the underlying causes of the crisis. The proposed solution, which has gained widespread support among the rabbinic leadership, focuses on addressing the shidduch age gap, which is seen as a primary factor exacerbating the crisis.
The central aspect of Rav Hirsch’s plan involves a significant adjustment in the timing of both boys’ and girls’ learning paths. Under the new proposal, bochurim would leave to learn in Eretz Yisroel earlier than the current timeline allows, while girls would delay starting their shidduchim by approximately one year after finishing their seminary studies.
The goal of these changes is twofold: to provide bochurim with the necessary time to focus on their Torah learning and growth in Eretz Yisroel, while also addressing the difficulties that young women face in navigating the shidduch process.
While the path forward is not without challenges, there is a growing sense of optimism that the combined efforts of the rabbinic leadership, together with the support of the broader community, will help alleviate the shidduch crisis and lead to lasting, meaningful change.
WATCH – Rav Binyomin Cohen addressing last night’s meeting in Chicago: