Srugim, the hit TV show in Israel about religious singles in Jerusalem prompted me to think about the singles issue. Some call it a crisis, some call it a problem. Regardless of what you call it, there are more and more older singles out there.
Pop quiz: Are there more single men or women out there?
Every person whom I've asked this question has the same answer: There are lots more single women out there, than men.
Every singles shabbaton we've helped host, has always seen lots more men than women. My wife almost wouldn't let me come home till I registered some single men for one shabbaton (friends from work), which was hosted in our community -- since the shabbaton was almost hopelessly lopsided by an abundance of single women, and a dearth of single men.
Luckily for me, I begged a friend to come to the shabbaton, and he ended up getting married to someone he met there, and I was able to come back home...
Unsatisfactory answers I've heard to explain this phenomena are:
In Israel, men die in the army, so there are more women than men.
I don't believe that so many men are dying in combat/training on an annual basis as to actually impact the religious singles scene.
In Israel, more men die in car accidents than women.
I don't know if that's true, and even if it were, I doubt its statistically relevant enough on an annual basis to actually impact the religious singles scene.
So what's the root cause?
Religious men typically marry women younger than them -- even a few years younger.
Due to natural growth, there are more children born each year than the previous one.
As an example (not using real numbers, this is only to explain the point).
Children Born 1985 -- 1000; 500 boys, 500 girls
Children Born 1986 -- 1010; 505 boys, 505 girls
Children Born 1987 -- 1020; 510 boys, 510 girls
Children Born 1988 -- 1030; 515 boys, 515 girls
Children Born 1989 -- 1040; 520 boys, 520 girls
Therefore, assuming men marry women who are 3 years younger than them, in the year 2008, the 500 men that are 23 years old have a pool of 515 women to marry who are aged 20.
The following year, 505 men aged 23 will have a pool of 520 girls who are aged 20.
Over time, as men continue to marry women younger than them, and there is a natural growth increase in children, there will be more and more women without anyone to marry.
Without anyone to marry?
A possible solution could be;
As a society, we need to encourage women to also marry men their own age, or even men younger than them.
We shouldn't wait till singles are already late in their 30s, 40s or 50s...rather we should already encourage women in the 20s to consider marrying men their own age or younger.
Otherwise, the current situation will continue to grow and grow.
Thoughts?
Pop quiz: Are there more single men or women out there?
Every person whom I've asked this question has the same answer: There are lots more single women out there, than men.
Every singles shabbaton we've helped host, has always seen lots more men than women. My wife almost wouldn't let me come home till I registered some single men for one shabbaton (friends from work), which was hosted in our community -- since the shabbaton was almost hopelessly lopsided by an abundance of single women, and a dearth of single men.
Luckily for me, I begged a friend to come to the shabbaton, and he ended up getting married to someone he met there, and I was able to come back home...
Unsatisfactory answers I've heard to explain this phenomena are:
In Israel, men die in the army, so there are more women than men.
I don't believe that so many men are dying in combat/training on an annual basis as to actually impact the religious singles scene.
In Israel, more men die in car accidents than women.
I don't know if that's true, and even if it were, I doubt its statistically relevant enough on an annual basis to actually impact the religious singles scene.
So what's the root cause?
Religious men typically marry women younger than them -- even a few years younger.
Due to natural growth, there are more children born each year than the previous one.
As an example (not using real numbers, this is only to explain the point).
Children Born 1985 -- 1000; 500 boys, 500 girls
Children Born 1986 -- 1010; 505 boys, 505 girls
Children Born 1987 -- 1020; 510 boys, 510 girls
Children Born 1988 -- 1030; 515 boys, 515 girls
Children Born 1989 -- 1040; 520 boys, 520 girls
Therefore, assuming men marry women who are 3 years younger than them, in the year 2008, the 500 men that are 23 years old have a pool of 515 women to marry who are aged 20.
The following year, 505 men aged 23 will have a pool of 520 girls who are aged 20.
Over time, as men continue to marry women younger than them, and there is a natural growth increase in children, there will be more and more women without anyone to marry.
Without anyone to marry?
A possible solution could be;
As a society, we need to encourage women to also marry men their own age, or even men younger than them.
We shouldn't wait till singles are already late in their 30s, 40s or 50s...rather we should already encourage women in the 20s to consider marrying men their own age or younger.
Otherwise, the current situation will continue to grow and grow.
Thoughts?
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