by
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe

Syosset, New York

Growing Up In Rockaway Beach, New York, I Often Heard The Yiddish Expression, "Mit A Kind In Shtub, Zaynen Ale Vinkelehk Farnumen." (With A Child In The House, All Corners Are Full.)

Starting Friday, Sept. 23 (10 P.m., NBC), Viewers Will Navigate Through The World Of Ultasound, Frozen Embryos, Surrogates, And Switched Sperm On The Tv Program, " Inconceivable."

The Doctors, Staff And Patients Of The Family Options Fertility Clinic--jonathan Cake, Joelle Carter, Mary Catherine Garrison, Angie Harmon, And Ming Na--investigate Baby-making In 2005. Hopefully, The Program Will Be More Successful Than "Who's Your Daddy?"

Jews Are Commanded By God To "Be Fruitful And Multiply" (Genesis 1:28). In Yiddish There's Another Expression, "Gebentsht Mit Kinder" (Blessed With Children). Procreation Is Taken Very Seriously And For Many Couples, There Is A Shame In Admitting To Infertility. Not To Be Able To Become "Shvanger" (Pregnant) Is Not Only An "Farlegnhayt" (Embarrassment), But A Terrible "Antoyshung" (Disappointment). According To Resolve, A Nationwide Organization For Those Affected By Infertility, There Are About 6.1 Million Americans Experiencing Some Kind Of Infertility.

Naomi Levy ("Talking To God") Wrote About A Woman Who Came Up To Her With An Adorable Little Girl In Her Arms. She Told Her She'd Had Quite A Difficult Time Conceiving And Even More Difficulty Maintaining A Pregnancy. Levy Writes, " She Was Tired And Dejected And Spent Many Nights In Fearful Prayer. But After Six Miscarriages She Became Pregnant And Brought Forth The Child She Was Holding."

There's Even A Prayer When One Experiences Infertility:

We Have Been Praying For A Child, God, But Month After Month Our Hopes Have Turned To Disappointment. Bless Us With A Child, God. Help Me, God. Let Me Conceive. Turn My Envy Into Love, My Despair Into Hope, My Anxiety Into Calm, My Tears Into Joy. Bless My Doctors With Wisdom And Skill. Let The Seed Of Life Be Planted And Let It Take Root. Make Me Fertile, God. Be With Me, God; Watch Over Me, Hear My Prayer. Amen.

It Worries Me When Adam Sternberg Writes About "Inconceivable," "...expect Some Spermacidal-based Slapstick."

No, Doubt, Episodes Will Discuss Louise Brown, A Womb With A View, The White Wall Of Silence (The Tendency Of Doctors And Nurses To Cover-up Incidents Where Patients Were Harmed By Medical Mistakes), And A Recent Study That Indicates That The Increasing Popularity Of Laptop Computers (Lc) Can Cause Sperm Damage.

In An Attempt To Be Funny, Should We Expect A "Dokter" To Dress In A Bunny Suit On Egg Retrieval Day? And Will Couples Speak Of Feeling Ridiculous Racing Through Rush-hour Traffic To Deliver Sperm To A Clinic?

A Final Word To The Producers Of "Inconceivable": Have "Rachmones" (Compassion) For Those Couples Unable To Conceive A Child. Never--ever--ask The Question, "Do Test-tube Babies Have Pyrex Birthmarks?" "Nisht Do Gedacht!" (It Shouldn't Happen!) It's Very Cruel!

Search for Stories Beginning with the Letter

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Y

Z

___________________________________________
Marjorie Gottlieb Wolfe is the author of
two books:

"Yiddish for Dog & Cat Lovers" and
"Are Yentas, Kibitzers, & Tummlers Weapons of Mass Instruction?  Yiddish
Trivia."  To order a copy, go to her
website: MarjorieGottliebWolfe.com

NU, what are you waiting for?  Order the book!