A Break In Schedule: My Nomination

Few things could ever interrupt the usual schedule of this blog. Top Ten Tuesday, though still in it's incipient stages, is an exciting weekly feature, at least for me. This week's Top Ten list was promising to be a good one, but alas, some things are more important. Such as nominations.

When asked which blogger would be best to send to Israel, I don't have many arguments to offer that weren't made by older, wiser, and more influential bloggers than myself. Other bloggers have already composed several highly convincing posts, explaining why Bad4Shidduchim would be the best choice. I have just one reason to add.

Before I ever entered the city of Blogsville, my only exposure to Frum Society was via my real-life acquaintances in Motsville. The differences between these two cities are so enormous, it's hard to imagine that they actually exist within the same population. Even more shocking, they exist within the same people.

In my native town of Motsville, everyone is exactly the same. Nobody can dare to dress, act or even think differently, less they be considered an outcast. The words bad for shidduchim are uttered in hushed tones, about other people. Dressing in a way that might shock or horrify a shadchan is considered worse than suicide. In the bright and sunny world of Motsville, a shadchan has more power than the president.

You can therefore imagine my shock, amusement, and excitement when I stumbled across the online world of Blogsville. High atop every blogroll is perched the destination that is like a safe haven for refugees of motsville. Bad 4 Shidduchim. Within that blog, I found the wondrous world of glory being attributed to people who dare to break out of the MOTS mold, people who dare to dress or act anything less than perfect.

But I found myself wondering. How could it be that a blog like that could have such a large number of readers, followers, and argumentative commenters? A large majority of these readers are people who have been so heavily brainwashed by the society of Motsville that they still dress perfectly! So how could it be that these very same singles are cheering excitedly about things like bad for shidduchim points and parties? First, I chalked it up to the emotionally charged topic and the frustrations of the system. But as I look at the numerous blogs about shidduchim that died practically before they even started, and at the multitudes of books on the topic lying unread on the bookstore shelves, I realized that can't be it.

That's when I realized the simple truth. Bad4's unique blend of humor, wit, sarcasm, truthfulness and enthusiasm, combined with her talent for writing has inspired passion in the hearts of her readers. People might have felt differently about the phenomenon of bad for shidduchim before they read her blog, but once they do, it's hard for them not to get caught up in her passion...and opinions start to sway.

And that is why I nominate Bad4Shidduchim to be chosen by Nefesh B'Nefesh. Who better to write about the intense emotions, the personal side of an Aliyah flight, than a writer who inspires her readers to be passionate?