What Yeshiva-High-School Students Wear on their Feet in Winter
It’s 46 degrees in Jerusalem today and it’s raining down like somebody poked a hole in the heavens. My Ukrainian cleaning lady chuckled when I complained about the “freezing cold,” and pulled out her phone to show me pines weighed down with snow and ice this week in her native Dnieprpetrovsk.
But still, for Jerusalemites, this is about as cold as it gets. The weather site I use has a cool feature; it recommends what clothing, in accordance with the weather, you should wear that day. For example, during the summer there are months and months of “t-shirt”, “t-shirt”, “t-shirt.”
And today the site’s recommendation was “wear a heavy raincoat with 3 layers underneath, a hat, a scarf, and tights or thick socks.”
But I guess the boys at the yeshiva high school next door didn’t check the site. Because all the boys I saw this morning on their way to class were wearing sandals with NO SOCKS.
I shivered just looking at them. Because looking at them made me feel cold, and also because I know chances are my own sons will be dressing that way when they go away for high school (as most boys in my community do.) With no mother around to remind them to put on a coat (and zipper it!), and socks (not those socks, clean socks!), AND shoes. The sandals put away safely by Eema in November. Out of sight and mind, until the spring.
This morning, getting my little kids out of the house was a story. Making sure they all got dressed up in their warmest sweaters and heaviest coats and rain ponchos and rubber boots (with socks! Not those socks, clean socks!) as well as back-pack rain-covers and umbrellas. It took longer than usual to get Yoel, Tsofia, Yaakov and Yoni ready and out the door, but it felt deeply satisfying to me, to know my children were well-dressed and warm in this freezing-cold (at least for the Middle East) winter day.
I felt like the woman of valour, who “fears not for her household from snow, for all her household is dressed in crimson.”
Well, maybe not crimson. But at least warm and dry. At least until high school…
Thank you for your happy and soooo relatable email.
My 17 year old cant wear his gloves because “they don’t work!” Huh?!?!
I needed to be reminded that it’s not just my teen son who never checks the weather, won’t make a meal for himself, forgets to unpack his school bag, seldom showers.
Oops, this was just about the weather…and not even in NY, but by you. Sorry…relating in my own head on more than the yeshiva boys sandals no socks!
Shabbat shalom from NYC
I hear you!
What weather site do you use, Jenny. Sounds like it would be great for my students ( olim chadashim)
http://www.02ws.co.il/
it’s wonderful!
I love this!
Just to let you know, my 15 year old yeshiva bachur gets very sweaty in sneakers (even the airy types) and wears his sandals all winter. He claims that in the rain and not being able to avoid large puddles that, its quicker to dry feet than socks and shoes that got sopping wet.
😂😂
hmm, interesting. maybe that’s why these teenage boys prefer sandals in winter
Why do yeshiva students have to wear sandals?
they don’t have to, they choose to