On Our Own/Cheryl Kupfer

Last month, when I was in Jerusalem, I naturally went to the Kotel, a place I always felt was home, since my paternal ancestors were Kohanim.

Perhaps the one characteristic that unites people of all nationalities, cultures and creeds is a fascination with weather, especially bad weather.

At this moment, in cities, towns and neighborhoods across the country, someone's mother, child, friend, or spouse glances impatiently at the clock, only to have flashes of mild annoyance chill into icy pricks of worry and fear.

I recently attended an all-day shidduch program sponsored by the National Council of Young Israel in Manhattan.

In this week's column by Dr. Yael Respler, she addresses a letter sent to her by a reader who had "bones to pick" with some of the points I made regarding shidduchim in the various Orthodox communities.

During Yom Tov, a group of my friends - all middle-aged ( but youthful of course) babyboomers were chatting about the usual things women smooze about when one of them shared with us the call she had recently gotten from her son-in-law's mother.

There is a wise Yiddish saying that translates into this observation: "Yichus (illustrious ancestors) is like a potato - they are both under the ground."

Young adults in the thousands have recently returned from a year (or two or three) in Israeli yeshivas and seminaries, full of youthful exuberance and idealism.

The Torah admonishes each Jew to 'take care of yourself,' to do what's necessary to stay alive and well. Obviously this means to do life enhancing actions like eating and sleeping properly, taking precautions like putting on a seat belt when in a car, and not taking unnecessary risks, like jaywalking across a busy street or walking on a ledge 40 stories high. Most importantly, one needs to get medical attention when sick or injured.