Hasidic group pays considerable amounts of money to matchmakers who marry off older singles.

The "Rebbe," or Grand Rabbi of Boyan met with all the local matchmakers Monday, and urged them to male a special effort to marry off the "older singles" in his community.

"Older singes" is a term used for unmarried men over 23, and woman over 21.

The Rebbe promised a $4,000 reward to anyone whose suggestion led to marriage.

A similar initiative was recently adopted by the Belz Hasidic group.

The Center of the Belz institutions made it clear that on instructions from the Rebbe, any matchmaker who successfully matched a young man or woman over the age of twenty in the next six months would receive $1,000.

The Skver Hasidic sect in the United States currently gives matchmakers $3,000 for every marriage they make involving an older single.

Hassidic Jews are expected to marry young, often at 18, and one that does not succeed to finding a match before the age of 23 is often considered 'damaged goods,' making it significantly harder in a community where men and woman are expected to meet through a matchmaker.