“THE MIDDOS TOUCH”
I understand where the editor was going with this title, but it’s a little too gimmicky for my taste, plus I think it doesn’t exactly work with the issue covered by the article. And, I put in a reference to the “meet-cute,” which is a movie term for the device that gets the two leads together in romantic comedies, which was apparently changed to “meet cute people.” Not exactly the same, but whatever.
That said, I offer my latest Jewish Week singles column. First paragraph is below–to read the article in its entirety, click on the title below.
(11/17/2004)
The Middos Touch
Esther D. Kustanowitz
“I’m looking for a girl with good middos,†the yeshiva boys of my youth would say. The teachers beamed, proud that their students were looking for girls with strong values  family, respect, and modesty. Problem is, nine times out of 10, those boys were punning on the Hebrew word middot, which also translates as measurements  as in 36-24-36. They were looking for a woman with curves in all the right places, and none of the wrong ones. Hearing this, the girls experienced a nagging feeling, as clear as writing on a Babylonian wall, that they had been judged and had been found wanting.
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