It is interesting to read the various explanations for the “crisis”. What I find most interesting though, are the words of litvish (my term for non chassidish where “crisis” isnt used as much) girls who are actually “in the parsha”. The most repeated line is “there are not enough GOOD GUYS available to date”, not that there are not enough guys altogether. Why do the girls not perceive the problem the way everyone else does? Are they in denial?
Also, it was written in this forum and also publicized in various advertisements, that there are (and will continue to be) hundreds (as much as 10%) of recent high school graduates who will simply never get married. Has anyone looked at those girls who are not married? Is there a common denominator among them? I dont want to make assumptions but will throw out a suggestion, is there a common denominator whereby these girls are from families who are unable to offer the support packages being asked for? Is it their looks? Brains? Personalities?
Lastly, what I would really like to see, more than an advertisement with signatures of roshei yeshiva (and the resulting claims of people misleading them etc…) are roshei yeshiva and rabbonim addressing their individual bachurim and kehillos on the hashkafa of the entire parsha. What is proper hishtadlus and what is hysterics. How to deal with and react to statement that appear under the signatures of prominent rabbonim that state, 10% of girls will never marry, or a statement which places the blame on the shoulders of those who do not follow such guidelines when it is abundantly clear that not all rabbonim or roshei yeshiva have signed on to such statements (a comparison of the signatories to the original age gap advertisements recommending closer in age shidduchim and the more recent advertisements suggesting bachurim marry younger illustrate this last point).