“‘The Best Policy’ Double Take was a masterful description of what happens not only once in a while, but during every single seminary season”
“The Best Policy” Double Take was a masterful description of what happens not only once in a while, but during every single seminary season, every single high school and beis medrash application season, and for almost every shidduch suggestion.
It really isn’t fiction at all — we’ve all suffered through a version of this story, which is why everyone with any sense hides anything that could be construed as problematic. Child needs a tutor? Make sure the tutor doesn’t go anywhere near the school. Feeling depressed? Make sure the therapist has an office way out of town. We hide anything and everything that might be a problem.
Which makes it so hard to find out any information, and why we panic at the thought of anyone finding out anything. It’s why we call so many people about a shidduch idea and why seminaries give our Bais Yaakov girls an inspection worthy of the FBI. We hide diseases, depression, and any kind of rebellious streak a girl had years ago. And sadly, even if the person overcomes her nisayon, it doesn’t matter because her problem will follow her anyway.
We make it an absolute requirement to go to seminary, and then we make it cost a fortune and make it a yearlong panic to get in to the best one. And if our dear daughter doesn’t get in to the best seminary, well, there go all possibilities of a good shidduch. Why do we keep doing this to ourselves?
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