“Super-loving, caring, sweet, soft, adventureloving, curious, passionate (about something), growth-minded, lover of travel with the freedom to work from anywhere, and a desire to see the world.”
That’s the type of woman David Yarus has always envisioned for himself. Honest and good-humoured about his fulsome wish list, despite his best efforts, finding someone who ticks all those boxes has proved more elusive than he expected.
David is looking for a “nice Jewish girl with range”
David, now 38, moved to New York in his early twenties with a simple plan to “find a nice Jewish girl”, but he was quickly met with disappointment – especially after his experience on a certain app (rhymes with Cinder).
So, what does an entrepreneur do when faced with a challenge? He creates his own solution, of course! That was when JSwipe was born.
The revolutionary app connects Jewish singles around the world but, while it has brought countless couples together (around tens of thousands, in fact), there’s one match it hasn’t quite achieved – for David, who is still single – and looking…
“I was doing all the things you would do to meet someone on the Upper West Side dating scene, but it didn’t feel authentic or natural,” says David. “Around that time, Tinder came out and disrupted the entire industry and fundamentally changed how people could connect.”
David saw a gap for a ‘Jewish Tinder’. “Any Jewish person on Tinder must have thought of the idea. We just did it.” JSwipe was born in April 2014. It attracted 50,000 users in its first four weeks. “It blew up,” recalls David. “It was the right place, at the right time. It was astonishing, inspiring and deeply meaningful.”
The following year, JSwipe was sued by JDate’s parent company, Spark Networks, over the use of the letter J, which Spark claimed was its trademark. As part of the legal settlement, Spark Networks acquired JSwipe for $7 million, allowing JSwipe to continue operating under its umbrella. David left JSwipe and Spark Networks in 2020.
Although he is no longer involved with the company, David still gets messages from people who have met via the app. That said, he acknowledges a growing fatigue with traditional dating apps, noting that while they offer plenty of possibilities, there’s also a sense of burnout among users.
“Everyone is a bit sick of them,” he says, although he doesn’t foresee people abandoning them entirely. Instead, he highlights the need for innovation, criticising platforms such as JSwipe and JDate for stagnating over the years. “I don’t think the app has been touched since I left. It’s embarrassing for the Jewish community.”
David says he feels a “serious responsibility” to help save the future of the Jewish community
Friendly and affable, David points out a shifting trend where dating is increasingly moving away from traditional apps and onto Instagram and other social media platforms. “They [social media] are the biggest dating apps today.”
While David may have stepped away from fostering other people’s romantic connections, he remains committed to uniting Jewish people worldwide through his other startup, mllnl (pronounced Millennial).
Founded in 2014, around the same time as JSwipe, mllnl helps Jewish and non-Jewish organisations use technology to meaningfully reach and engage with millennial audiences “in a way that really resonates”. Clients include the President’s Office of Israel, Birthright Israel and Jewish Federations of North America. “We wonder why younger people aren’t engaged, but many Jewish organisations are out of date,” says David. “We use our best-in-class marketing and storytelling to meaningfully reach and engage the younger generations.”
DAVID’S TOP TIPS FOR GETTING THE BEST FROM A DATING APP PROFILE
- Be very clear with what you’re looking for and be discerning about whatever that is.
- Be honest and upfront about what you want – people will respect that. Clear space, energetically. You can’t be texting your ex and be truly ready to call in ‘the one’.
- Have an open mind – you never know what’s around the corner, and have fun with it!
Growing up in a Jewish community in Miami, David later transferred to a prestigious Christian preparatory school in Washington. This experience, where he was among the few Jewish students, profoundly impacted his sense of Jewish identity, which has become a fundamental part of his personal and professional life. “At that moment, Jewish identity shifted for me in a very powerful and formative way,” he says.
David went on to study entrepreneurship at Babson College in Boston, a school renowned for its focus on business innovation. His time there set the foundation for his passion for start-ups and using technology to make a meaningful impact. Fast forward, and David, who refers to himself as the “wandering Jew” based on his nomadic lifestyle, extensive travels and efforts to connect Jewish communities worldwide, is working on his latest soon-to-launch venture.
While he can’t give too much away at this stage, it’s definitely not another dating another app. But it is within the Jewish space and is likely to reflect his commitment to using his technological background and entrepreneurial expertise to ensure the sustainability and vibrancy of Jewish life in a rapidly-changing world, something he acknowledges has become increasingly important since October 7.
“Unfortunately [before October 7], we were already at a time where systems in the Jewish world were breaking and now we are at an unprecedented time of antisemitism and mis/disinformation. I feel a serious responsibility to take action and help save the future of the Jewish community.” David says there has been a shift towards in-person connections since the war broke out, with many people feeling a stronger pull to gather in real life. “People have felt called to – and confronted with – their identity, for better or for worse, more than ever before and people want to meet in person in more authentic ways.”
David is now ready to meet someone special
He says there has been a resurgence of Shabbat gatherings in cities worldwide. “These ‘renegade Shabbats’ are being hosted by individuals within Jewish communities. They are not only fostering a deeper sense of authenticity and tradition, but are also emerging as unique and meaningful social settings – often serving as great venues for meeting new people and even dating.”
So, back to dating… David’s love life has taken a back seat in recent years, but he is now ready to meet someone special. And, as he plans to head back to New York again to try to find that “nice Jewish girl – someone with range, who can embrace Burning Man one week and a formal dinner the next; someone spiritual who loves hosting Shabbats and gatherings; someone confident, self-assured and beautiful inside and out” – we can’t help but wonder: could she be reading this right now, perhaps in the UK?
Could the Jewish News succeed where JSwipe so far hasn’t?
The JN would love to play matchmaker (without inciting a law suit for the letter J) and help David finally find his perfect match. Perhaps his great love story starts not in New York but with a Jewish News reader…
