Before dating apps and endless swiping, St. Louis had the Jewish Photo Dating Service—a low-tech matchmaking effort that launched in the early 1980s. It brought hundreds of local singles together and led to dozens of lasting relationships. After we shared one of the original ads last week, readers responded with stories of their own—and we tracked down Martin Finer, the man behind the camera, to find out how it all worked.
How the Jewish Photo Dating Service came to be
In the summer of 1983, Martin and Tammy Finer had two announcements in the Jewish Light—their own wedding on June 29, and, just seven weeks later, the debut of their unique community project: the Jewish Photo Dating Service.
Their idea was rooted in a deeper mission. “The whole goal,” Martin recalled, “was to help Jews meet other Jews.”
He had inherited the concept from a local rabbi who had been running a Jewish computer dating service. When that rabbi made aliyah, Martin was offered the list. “But people weren’t thrilled with the results,” he said. “They didn’t like who they were matched with.”
The Finers knew they could offer something better. Their twist? Photographs. “If I could get a picture of everyone first,” Martin Finer said, “people would feel more comfortable.” So, the Jewish Photo Dating Service was born—not digital, but intimate. Singles came to the Finers’ home in Olivette, sat for a photo and talked through what they were looking for. Martin Finer built files on each person and hand-picked possible matches.
Jewish singles found success through photos
Over the next several years, the Finers ran ads in nearly every issue of the Jewish Light, often with clever Q&As or “mazel clubs” congratulating couples who had gotten engaged.
The Finers also organized popular singles events at hotels across St. Louis, serving kosher pizza and drinks with a side of live music. But Martin Finer said the parties were more about fun and outreach. “One-on-one matchmaking was more effective,” he said. At the gatherings, Finer deployed six women at the check-in table—“if they saw someone they liked, they’d set their card aside and I’d introduce them during the night.”
A lasting legacy in Jewish dating history
Their impact? Martin Finer estimates they helped create 117 marriages in just a few years. “We never charged anything. We just wanted to help people find someone Jewish—and maybe some happiness,” he said.
The service ended when the Finers moved to Monsey, N.Y., around 1991. Martin Finer didn’t stop matchmaking, though—he continued helping Jewish singles in the New York community, even making another 15 matches through a yeshiva program.
These days, Martin is better known as the Ballooner Rebbe, teaching kids (and dates) how to make balloon animals and entertaining at simchas and hospitals.
“I got more out of it than anyone,” he said. “I still hear from couples. One just had their fourth child.”
Before algorithms, there was Martin and Tammy Finer —and a stack of photos, a camera and the belief that Jewish love deserved a little help.
