Shadchan
The Jewish matchmaker who suggests and arranges a match.
Also: shadchanit, matchmaker, shadkhan
A shadchan is a matchmaker in Jewish communities, a role found for many centuries in Europe and the Middle East and still active among the Orthodox. The shadchan, often a woman today, proposes a pair after enquiries about family, character and aims, and the couple meet a few times before deciding. The match may be made by a community figure or by a paid service, and a fee or gift is customary on a successful match. The spelling varies, with shadkhan or shadchan, and the feminine is shadchanit.
Region: Middle East