JQS Video ChatAs you might imagine, I am a tad concerned about Jewish continuity.I mean I write for Jewlicious after all, and I appreciate having a nice large and vibrant audience. Well, I noticed that we had a new ad banner over on the side there, occasioned by an almost total revamp of their system.

JQS has been around for a while, but when I clicked on the banner what I saw was immediately completely different than what I they had before, at least cosmetically. As I ventured further into the site I saw that it was indeed quite different. I mean I haven’t checked out a Jewish dating site in, well…ever. But this was, dare I say it, kinda cool. Of course JQS has all the standard issue online dating elements – profiles with pictures, essays and preferences written by Jewish singles from all over the world. But one thing I found totally geek-worthy (in a good way) was the ability to have both regular text-based instant chat as well as voice and video chat.

My friends who are battle hardened veterans of the online dating world often complain about “meeting” someone online, getting to know them and then going on a real-life date only to find out that they do not even remotely resemble their posted photos. Video chat to the rescue! And the voice chat is good too because now you can talk to someone you are interested in without giving them your phone number. It never hurts to be cautious you know. And yes, I got a kick out of the silly emoticons too.

On a more practical level their prices are below average and you can sign up for free. As a free member you also get to reply to messages and video chats from paying members, and paying members can fully communicate with any member regardless of whether they’ve paid or not, a huge advantage for all involved compared to other dating sites. Well way to go JQS! And thank you for supporting Jewlicious.

If you wish to support companies that support Jewlicious, just click on the JQS banner and let them know we sent you. That trust fund isn’t going to just magically appear ya know!

About the author

Laya Millman

26 Comments

  • Ck!!!!!! YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT…I’M TALKING ABOUT YOU AND ME…TOGETHER… I’m talking about Freedom…I’m talking about the list for Amuka, dude!!!! It’s the best good deed of the week…does anyone know which website it’s located at?

  • Yes I think we all do jsirpiccodegallo. We all know the list and the URL. Now breathe deeply and relaaaaaax.

  • Can I let them know who sent me without signing up?

    jsirpico! dont let them cool you off!!!

  • Sweet- Thanks for the plug Jewlicious crew! As for the prayer list, it’s a great idea, but remember Hashem helps those who help themselves. 🙂

  • I guess in some cases it can work when both parties throw away the shadchan and interact on their own with eachother. I’m actually getting tired of the system myself.

  • nice website…so i decided to support my friends at jewlicious and signed up….So can i get my shamatas shirts now?

  • I use started using jmatch last month and took the 6 month membership…the old site was lacking, but I did get 3 dates so far- the new site looks great. Where is jmatch based out of?

  • Hey, I saw that you do their dating blog! You are omnipresenticious!

  • I was totally hoping you’d bring that up at some point, ck. It reminds me that you care. Wow! the popular kids NOTICE me!

    I’d love to have seen your comment… That thing you said a while back about all guys inherently being perverts came up alot to me during alot of the correspondery… I wonder…

  • Layaleh, video chat is nothing new. Problem is, the camera does add ten pounds and you need to put your make-up on first. Who wants to do their hair just to jump on the IM?
    Also, even a perfect gentleman is eventually going to say…”uh, can you step back from the camera a little and point it down a bit…now turn around…” They suddenly become Martin Scorcese. They want the full body view before the date.
    If a guy can’t decide if he wants to date me based on a fairly recent face photo, I don’t want him, likewise if he can’t post a fairly recent face photo of himself.

  • Hey Chutzpah, I’ve never actually — USED a dating site. so I’ll take your word on it.

  • Is there a single Jewish dating site that doesn’t ignore the existence of GLBT people that’s not itself a GLBT-only site?

  • Dlevy, I’ve never looked for one, but as the resident self-appointed dating expert here, I have to say that I’ve never seen one either. Most sites tend to be either for straight Jews or for GLBT. Which I think is only logical. Why would a gay man or woman want a regular dating site that had straight people on it in addition to the gay men and women that they’re looking for? I know it peeves me and my fellow females who are looking for a nice, straight Jewish boy, have search results that include nice Jewish gay boys. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but that’s clearly not who we’re on JDate to meet. Not that I’m on JDate. But you get the point.

  • Oh, and I recently got an email from QJew, so it’s possible they’re trying to recruit me. (Give me ten years more of this and maybe I’ll reconsider.)

  • I don’t understand why a nationwide (or worldwide) non-profit Jewish matchmaking organization hasn’t already been started.

    I’m sure people would donate to such a thing if it existed.

  • Esther, I just met someone by strange coincidence, connected w/ a business project I am trying to market. There are few guys w/ Yarmulkes in the area where I work so when I see one I ask them if they can join our minyan at lunchtime.
    WHat I mean is, perhaps you could be involved in some other project that would be putting you in direct contact w/ people not necessarily to date but you never know, rather than hitting these web sites, or in addition to. I am not saying that you dont do this already, but I haven’t seen in your writing. Perhaps you could try to raise money for a cause for example, or do publicity.

  • Believe me, I’m not relying on a website to find dates. And actually, this month, I’m kind of doing ok that way. But thanks for the idea.

  • Hey that’s great new Esther. Funny I also had some positive news economically this mo Thank Gd.
    Something that hadn’t happened in 3 years, did. Something else did, something else did. Little bits n pieces that I havent seen in so long. Hope the same goes for you !

  • Maybe it has to do w the suffering going on in Israel now, that Kavyochel, HaShem is being moichel us now. I would willingly give up my portion here to prevent Suffering there. But not you. You should come first as well.

  • Yoni, JMatch is run out of Montreal (Cool city!) Shmuel, re non profit, great idea- FYI We operate the only non profit site for Jewish Singles With Special Needs (jswsn.org) it is compleley free, and yes we welcome your donation 🙂

  • Esther – some people aren’t just looking for one or the other. And combined sites have the added benefit of the larger publicity/word of mouth that comes from a larger constituency. All of the big, mainstream, goyish (er, “non-sectarian?”) dating sites like Match.com, Nerve.com, whathaveyou all offer their services to everyone regardless of their gender or the gender(s) they’re looking for. Why is the Jewish world behind?

    (This clearly stems from my frustration from seeing the same ten schlemazels on gayjews.net over and over and over again.)

  • Dlevy, I hear your frustration. Even on JDate, it seems like the “Your Matches” that they send me are regularly the same five guys. (Three of whom are probably already married and off the site but just forgot to take down their profiles.)

    Why is the Jewish world behind on equal dating opportunities for gay singles? Come on, don’t you know why?

    And Shmuel, there is Saw You at Sinai, which is a nationwide network of matchmakers (not all matchmakers everywhere are currently part of the network, but if they want to catch up with the times, they probably will be in the future).