This study gathered open-ended responses from 889 Orthodox Jewish individuals across a wide range of backgrounds, and analyzed their personal experiences and thoughts about dating and marriage. Seven major themes emerged, including the superficial resume system, gender segregation, pressure to marry before feeling ready, the exclusion of certain groups from the dating process, and a lack of education around intimacy and relationships. Rather than relying on anecdote alone, this research gives a real evidence base to struggles that many in the community already sense. While some of the findings are not surprising, this study does highlight some new themes. The findings highlight an urgent need for communal awareness and systemic change to better support Orthodox Jewish daters.

Within the Orthodox Jewish community, many people are familiar with the frustrations of shidduch dating, the pressure to marry young, superficial résumé-based criteria, parental overinvolvement, and the stigma of being single. But are these just things people gripe about, or do they actually affect mental health? This study asked 255 Orthodox Jewish singles to rate how severely they experienced these problems, and found that the more severely someone rated them, the worse their depression, anxiety, and life satisfaction scores tended to be. Women were particularly affected, rating most problems as more severe and showing a stronger link to poorer mental health outcomes. The findings suggest that what the community often discusses as social frustrations are, indeed, measurable mental health concerns, and underscore the importance of the community actively addressing these issues and working toward meaningful systemic change

Abuse is an issue that exists in every community, and the Orthodox Jewish community is no exception. This study examined how common physical, sexual, and emotional abuse are among Orthodox Jewish individuals, and what impact abuse has on mental health. In a sample of 274 singles, nearly 30% reported experiencing emotional abuse, roughly 14% reported sexual abuse, and about 9% reported physical abuse. Those who reported experiencing abuse showed meaningfully higher rates of depression and anxiety, and lower satisfaction with life, compared to those who did not. Given that Orthodox Jewish communities can be insular and that victims of abuse are sometimes shunned, this research is an important step in raising both communal and clinical awareness, and in pushing for better support systems for those who have been harmed.

Sexual abuse exists in the Orthodox Jewish community at rates similar to the general population, but the community's insularity has made it difficult to understand the fuller picture of how and where this abuse occurs. This study took a unique approach by surveying 143 mental health professionals about their current clients who were raised Orthodox and had disclosed a history of sexual abuse, yielding information on 248 survivors. The findings revealed striking differences between male and female survivors: the majority of abuse experienced by females was perpetrated by family members, most commonly a brother, while males were more likely to be abused by a friend or neighbor. For females, most abuse began before the age of nine. These findings highlight that teaching children about "stranger danger" is not enough, when abuse is most often coming from within the home, children need the language and tools to recognize and speak up about inappropriate behavior even when it involves someone they love and trust. The study underscores the urgent need for age-appropriate education and targeted programming aimed specifically at preventing intrafamilial sexual abuse within the Orthodox Jewish community.

Ready for the next one!Sonnet 4.6

This study surveyed 368 women to better understand what factors shape the mikvah experience, and found that how respectful or intrusive the attendant was, the woman's own knowledge of mikvah laws, and whether she had a history of abuse all played a significant role in how the experience was perceived. Women's open-ended responses pointed to themes of empowerment and the importance of having a sense of choice in the process. The findings suggest that mikvah attendant training and a greater emphasis on the autonomy and comfort of the woman using the mikvah could go a long way in making the experience more positive for more women.

Article in the Jerusalem Post

Article in Mishpacha Magazine