New App Helps Jewish Students Connect With Roommates Who Meet Their Needs, Interests
by JNS.org
JNS.org — A pluralistic teen movement has introduced a mobile app to help Jewish high school seniors and current college students find roommates.
BBYO launched Joomie during its International Convention in Dallas last weekend. The program asks a user to describe his or her Jewish youth group affiliations, levels of Shabbat and kosher observance, music preferences, sleeping habits and more. After answering these questions, students can view other profiles, filtered by school, interests and religious lifestyle.
“One of the most exciting aspects of Joomie is that it was thought up by teens as they sought ways to make it easier for students who are leaving their familiar Jewish communities behind to build new ones on campus,” said Matt Grossman, BBYO’s CEO. He was referring to the “hackathon” event, sponsored by Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation’s ROI Community, at which teenagers brainstormed ways to use technology to connect with BBYO or summer camp friends while they transition to college.
“We believe that usage of Joomie will help facilitate the transition to college for many students, and ultimately promote a greater engagement in Jewish life in campuses across North America,” Grossman said.
Joomie is available for both iOS and Android devices, and can be downloaded in the Apple app store or Google Play.