A Tall Order
Apparently, now to be "good for shidduchim," a kallah maidel needs not only to reflect the "right" hashkafos through a certificate of a proper BY education for seminary as well as high school, as well, as working, ideally, in a chinuch, but she has to fit the physical ideal that includes a minimum height. Now I am certain that all the bochurim in Lakewood or their equivalent have not suddenly shot up above 6 feet tall, yet it seems that they (or those who speak for them) are demanding girls of 5'5". Hey, even I am just 5'41/2", yet I am quite average height and taller than a lot of my counterparts. So what gives with the height requirement? Remember, I am not talking about a girl saying she would like her prospective husband to be above 5 feet tall but of a boy who rules out a girl because she is too petite.
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On that note, I hope my kids are a bit taller than me. But genetics are a strange thing. I believe there is a 5% chance a child will be shorter or taller than their parents. Well, guess what happened in our family?
My kids actually were among the taller ones in their classes, though they usually rank average on the doctor's charts. Frum people seem to usually clock in on the shorter end, which is why is particularly ludicrous to insist on minimum heights. As in my own case, we found that 2 average height parents could still produce a less than average height child, so there is no point to the planned eugenics based on height.