Andy Rudnick has three daughters who are single and dating. So each time there are applicants to his new matchmaking app, JEWZZ, they get a personal, fatherly once-over from the veteran party entrepreneur.
Rudnick, who has been operating the famed Matzoball Jewish singles gatherings since 1987, says he screens for inappropriate language, photos and conversations. He said he rejects about 10% of potential new members.
“I want to leave something behind that provides value and purpose for the Jewish community,” said the Boca Raton resident, a native of Worcester, Mass. “This is my calling, my legacy after 38 years.”
JEWZZ, which launched in April, already has 6,000 users. Rudnick hopes to get to 30,000 by Christmas Eve, just in time for the next Matzoball, which will be in 10 cities this year, including Boca Raton and Miami Beach. He is planning to cross-promote the Matzoball with JEWZZ, allowing attendees who have downloaded the app to get a discount on Matzoball tickets.
Rudnick, 60, hosted the first Matzoball in Boston in 1987. He was a young party promoter newly graduated from Boston University, looking to make some money by bringing business to a nightclub that would have gone unused on Christmas Eve. By 1989, Matzoballs were also being held in Boca Raton and New York, and even expanded into monthly Jewish singles parties in the three cities.
The monthly parties ended in 1994, when Rudnick decided to focus on events, such as the Christmas Eve singles parties, that earned him a steadier income.
He met his wife, Catherine, a Russian-born Jew who was tending bar at the Matzoball in Boston, in 1997. She is the founder of the jewelry collection Katia Designs, and Rudnick serves as chief operating officer. They have an 18-year-old daughter and twins who are 24.
The Matzoball used to partner closely with Jewish dating apps JSwipe and Jdate, until they were bought by a European company in 2015. He sees dating apps as an important way for singles to connect before or after his parties, so Rudnick figured he’d create one himself.
Besides security screens to ensure healthy interaction, JEWZZ also has 4-minute live speed dates and video calling that allows a live conversation without sharing phone numbers. As in most dating apps, participants can “like” each other’s photos in order to begin a conversation, and can then request a date, either in-person or virtual.
The app and website are filled with familiar words to make young Jews feel at home, including references to “bubbie” (Yiddish for grandmother) and “beshert” (Yiddish for soulmate). “Your perfect Jewish match is out there, so quit putzing around and sign up!” the website implores.
JEWZZ is free to download, and participants can get basic service for free, including video and voice chatting and a limited number of likes and matches per day.
There are also premium memberships, which offer unlimited likes, matches and rewinds, and allow members to search profiles in other cities, screen potential matches based on height, profession and other qualities, and attend virtual speed dating events at no extra cost. These packages go for $19.99 for a week, $55 a month, $150 for six months or $199 for a year.
And of course, if you live in South Florida, you can attend the Matzoball this year on Dec. 24. In Miami Beach, the venue is the LIV Nightclub Miami. In Boca Raton, the party place is the Boca Luna Luxe Lounge (general admission for both, $55; discounts for app members). Look for Rudnick at the Boca Raton event; he’ll be the one keeping an eye on his daughters.
For more information on the Jewzz app, go to Jewzz.com. To learn about the Matzoball, go to Matzoball.org.
