JDate Shuts Offices in Israel — Keeps Hebrew Version
Graphic by Angelie Zaslavsky
JERUSALEM — The Jewish matchmaking website JDate has closed its offices in Israel.
Spark Network, which operates the site, recently laid off its 25 employees in Israel and closed its offices in Herzliya, the Israeli business daily Calcalist reported this week.
The Israeli JDate website will continue to be maintained from the United States and include Hebrew-language content, according to Calcalist.
The closure of the Israel offices is part of a reduction in the company’s operations worldwide, according to Calcalist, following declining revenues over at least the last year.
JDate, the first Jewish dating website, was established in the United States in 1997 and began operating in Israel in 2002. The website has about 750,000 subscribers, including an estimated 350,000 in Israel.
Hello, fellow Forward reader! I’m Joel Brown, a Forward reader and supporter for more than 15 years, and currently the chair of the board of directors.
I’m an avid Forward reader because it ticks so many of my essential boxes: excellent journalism, Jewish focus and diverse viewpoints. In today’s political climate, what I most appreciate is the Forward’s independence — made possible by the generosity of its membership.
The Forward is committed to bringing you unbiased, nuanced Jewish news. From my position as board chair, I see an exciting future as we expand our position as the definitive independent voice of contemporary American Judaism.
That’s why I’m paying it Forward, by matching $36,000 of reader gifts. It’s an investment in the Forward’s newsroom, to continue telling the American Jewish story with truth and independence.
— Joel Brown, Forward board chair
Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
