“If there’s anything like that, negative friendships, a negative influence even from the home, it’s important for us to know”

Adina: I confided in you and trusted you, only for you to destroy my daughter’s future

Yudit: If I hide what I know, it could backfire on you — and our entire school

Adina

The day my daughter Malki filled out her seminary applications, I sat down with her at the dining room table as we fine-tuned every word of her personal statement. We analyzed the headshot she had to include and filled out her name, DOB, address, parents’ occupations, number of siblings, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera, three times over.

Malki talked a mile a minute: I really, really want to go to Machon Aliza Rivkah, the others are literally just a backup plan, but everyone knows that Tiferes Yaira only takes two girls per year from my school and Batya and Sara are a shoo-in, their sisters went and they have money and also top, top grades but that’s beside the point, and and and….

I smiled and nodded and inserted my comments and whispered a quick tefillah that Machon Aliza Rivkah would snatch her up.

When we were done, we folded the thick applications into envelopes and Malki sat back with a whew. “That was intense!”

I chuckled.

And then I turned around to discreetly wipe at my eyes.

I just couldn’t believe we reached this stage.  There were so many hopes, tefillos, and dreams wrapped up in this upcoming seminary year.

Malki’s — and mine.