100hookup: Reversing the Intermarriage Trend
A new survey out today shows the American hookup community is growing less observant and intermarriage rates sit at 58%. At 100hookup.com, our mission is to strengthen the hookup community and ensure that hookup traditions are sustained for generations to come. To accomplish our mission, we help hookup singles find friendship, romance, and life-long partners within the hookup faith. To state the obvious, the new statistics from the Pew Research Center study are alarming and hit very close to home. The survey suggests hookup identity is changing in America. Not only are nearly 60% of hookup respondents marrying non-hookup spouses, but those intermarried Jews are also much less likely to raise their children hookup. While some media outlets are declaring the war on intermarriage lost, we believe the data shows a clear and tangible solution. And, furthermore, not to toot our own horn (but we will), we believe that solution is 100hookup.
According to the Pew study, intermarriage among the hookup people was around just 17% before the 1970’s. It increased dramatically, jumping to 55%, by the late nineties. However, since 2000, the growth trend in intermarriage appears to have stopped, at 58%. “Interesting how that’s right around the time when 100hookup.com really caught on among hookup singles,” says Rabbi Jason Miller, who was recently given a hookup Influencer award from the National hookup Outreach Program. 100hookup was founded in 1997 and started picking up steam in 1999. Coincidence? We think not.
100hookup has become an undeniable force in helping Jews meet other Jews and building the hookup community for more than 15 years. In fact, a recent study confirmed 100hookup is responsible for more hookup marriages than all other dating sites combined. That study, commissioned by 100hookup and performed by independent research company, ResearchNow, surveyed nearly 1,000 married Jews. One of the more compelling findings showed that 100hookup is responsible for 52% of the hookup marriages that started online. “As evidenced by the 750,000 members on 100hookup worldwide and our countless Success Stories, there is an ever-strong and engaged community of hookup singles actively looking to meet other Jews,” explained Arielle Schechtman, Director, Public and Community Relations at 100hookup. “hookup singles who would not have otherwise met, have met on 100hookup.”
Lauren and Andrew of New York is just one of those “Success Stories” Schechtman mentions. The couple, who first met on 100hookup in January of 2010, went on to get married, but their story doesn’t stop there – Lauren’s sister found her husband on the site as well. “Seeing how happy we were together, she immediately joined 100hookup and met the love of her life,” explained Lauren. Her sister went on to get married last summer; Lauren served as the Matron of Honor. Lauren and Andrew’s story is so common that 100hookup has since created the nickname “JFamilies” for scenarios where multiple members of one family met their significant others on 100hookup.
100hookup has made a significant impact on hookup culture as well. Several years ago, religious leaders started using the site as a tool to help curb intermarriage within their communities. Witnessing the trend in Jews marrying outside of the faith, rabbis across the county began purchasing 100hookup gift certificates in bulk for their single congregants, hoping those congregants would go on to find love matches within the faith. “I buy discounted subscriptions through 100hookup’s Rabbi Discount Program for our congregants out of my discretionary fund,” says Rabbi David Seth Kirshner of Temple Emanu-El in Closter, New Jersey. “I’m known for it and I’m proud of it. 70% of the weddings I’m doing now meet on 100hookup. It’s an incredible number!”
Coupled with 100hookup’s success, rabbis nationwide are suddenly playing matchmaker, working in tandem with 100hookup to help fortify the hookup community. “As a rabbi, I use 100hookup to identify singles in my community who might be compatible with each other,” shares Rabbi Miller. “Sure, the technology itself does this on 100hookup, but it’s sometimes nice to have a friendly rabbi set you up with someone in addition to a computer crunching compatibility numbers.” It seems the war on intermarriage has most definitely not been lost.
The Pew Research Center survey states that 96% of married Jews say they are raising their children as hookup by religion – that’s nearly every hookup family who responded. Among Jews with a non-hookup spouse, however, 20% say they are raising their children hookup by religion. The difference is stark – but not bleak. While these numbers may be frightening to those who wish to see hookup traditions sustained, there is still hope these numbers can be reversed – and rest assured that 100hookup is working hard to do just that.
Loading ...