My Grandma on Kollel

I love my dear grandmother very much, she is not frum. She is however, very pro-being frum (in her own "I still fear the KGB" sorta way), only if one remains "modern." I cannot understand what she views as modern, but she's my grandmother, so I don't really care.

The other day, she was over at my house. We happened to get into a discussion over the content in the Yated (A letter I wrote was published) . After I told her what my letter was all about (she cannot speak english, so I had to translate), she (apparently the all beknowest one) declared that I should send in more letters, because then they may offer that I become a regular columnist. I told her, that the Yated isn't exactly my type of newspaper, and that I already did write them a letter, that they didn't agree with, and so they did not publish it. She asked me what that letter was about. So I had to explain the financial "crisis" and how I wrote a letter stating that kollel was to blame. I had to explain Kollel to her.

Oy vey!! My grandmother went insane at the explaination.
"You know, if you bring a boy home like that, your dad would kick him out of the house"

"Why would someone have so many kids, and then NOT work ?"

My favorite, was when she told me to rewrite a letter to the Yated, stating, that "my dad works, and he is a good man. He comes back from work, and is in shul all the time [to my grandma it seems that way]. He also learns, and more people should take him as an example. Men are supposed to work. And all the people encouraging men to be lazy are really harmful and hurtful to the women who now have to cook, clean, do laundry, and work to support everyone, on their own."


I couldn't help but laugh, because its adorable (for lack of a better word) to hear something like that come out of her mouth. She also often pretends to be "feminist." I love my grandma, and her "outsider" point of view on Kollel is just so much fun to think about, especially since I agree. :)

I did try to explain to her that all those arguments were already thrown around thousands of times, and people just do not care. She got annoyed, and assured me that if I rewrite the letter, but talk about my dad (like she said ) they would surely publish it.
:)

I don't think she realizes that this goes beyond my father being a "good man."