Website lets Jewish mothers find match for son, daughter

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

Robin Siegal was browsing Facebook one night when she came across an online dating site for Jewish moms looking to set up their children.

Siegal, a 55-year-old mother of three, was so excited that she immediately created a profile for her 25-year-old single daughter without her knowledge.

“I thought, ‘This is amazing’,” Siegal said. “Anybody that is going to be the love of my daughter’s life is going to be part of my family too.”

The site was TheJMom.com, a start-up founded by Chicago siblings Brad and Danielle Weisberg

Unlike other dating sites, TheJMom.com offers mothers the chance to network with other Jewish families seeking a match for their son or daughter.

The idea came to the siblings after their mom expressed interest in looking at their online dating profiles. One night Brad Weisberg, 30, finally gave in and granted his mom access to his account. By the end of the night, she picked out around 10 women.

“A light bulb came on in both of our heads,” said Danielle Weisberg, 26.

With online dating, “someone in their 20s or 30s might just look at pictures first,” Brad Weisberg said. “A mom is paying more attention to their interests and similarities and family values.”

For many, those family values stem from their Jewish upbringing. TheJMom.com, which launched in November and is currently available for a free trial, makes it easier to find someone who has been raised in the same faith.

Siegal, a clinical social worker from Los Angeles, described herself as a person with very liberal beliefs, but “when it comes to what I want for my family, I want Jewish grandchildren,” she said.

The reason is that being Jewish is more than a religion, it’s a way of life, she said.

“Part of what is framing the background here is that marriage is more than just two people getting together; it’s part of a broader family, a broader Jewish community,” said Rabbi Michael Balinsky, executive vice president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis.

“Family becomes the key setting where this is played out.”

ChicagoReligionNews.com