"di unterban" is
the subway
"der shidekh" is
an arranged marriage or a "match"
The average time spent on a New York City subway train is about 25 minutes
a day. During that time we may see a "betler" (beggar or panhandler)
who stands up in a full subway car and says, "Ladies and Gentlemen:
Sorry to bother you. Hold onto your iPods and cell phones, and beware
of chain-snatchers and pickpockets. You may not believe this, but
I
come from a nice
family. I was taught that it's good manners to bring a gift
when you visit someone's home. So, this is MY home. Where's my gift?"
We don't make eye contact, so to prevent boredom, we gaze up at the advertisements
and pray for some "eye candy." And what do we get?
The get-hitched messages are part of a new marketing strategy from the abstinence-advocate group "Campaign for Our Children." "Der aynfal" (the idea): If teens learn to respect and look forward to marriage, they might not get "shvanger" (pregnant) before they tie the knot.
"Di unterban" (subway) signs will read:
'MARRIAGE
WORKS"
'KIDS OF
MARRIED PARENTS DO BETTER IN SCHOOL"
"MARRIED PEOPLE LIVE LONGER"
"MARRIED PEOPLE EARN MORE MONEY."
With the Jewish population of New York City just less than one "milyon," and
so many Jews riding the subways, why noit add some marriage propaganda in
Yiddish?
My suggestions:
"VU LIEBSHAFT,
DORT IZ KEIN ENGSHAFT."
(Where there
is love, it never feels crowded.)
"AS ES KUMT
DEIN BASHERTER, VEST ES VISEN IN TSVAI VERTER."
(When your
destined spouse appears, you'll know it when you hear the first few spoken
words.)
'BAY A SHATKHN
IZ NITO KEYN MIESE KALE."
(With a matchmaker
there's no homely bride.)
"VU DOS VEIB
IZ A MALKEH IZ DER MAN A MAILECH."
(Where the
wife is queen, the husband is king.)
"MAN UN VEIB
ZEINEN AIN LEIB."
(Husband
and wife are like one flesh.)
"ES IZ NITO
KEIN GETREI'ERS VEE AN AIGEN VEIB."
(There is
no more devoted person than one's own wife.)
"NO CHUPPAH,
NO SHTUPPA."
(No wedding
canopy, no sex.) (Rabbi Shmuley Boteach)
"MATZAH ISHA,
MATSAH TOV."
(Whoever
finds a wife, finds great good.)
"ALLE KALAHS
ZEINEN SHAIN."
(All brides
are beautiful.)
"AIN ZIVUGO
SHEL ISH ELAH MIN HA'KODOSH BARUCH HU."
(Marriages
are made in heaven.)
"LO TOV HE'YOT
HE'ADAM L'VADO."
(It is not
good for a man to be alone.)
_____
Marjorie Gottlieb
Wolfe met her "bashert" in 1957.
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