The Perfect Homemaker vs. the Master's Degree

"I'm finishing a master's degree in bioinformatics at a prestigious university, while at the same time teaching tradition to children in the London community. I love science and I plan to grow in this field.

But when my profile reached the ultra-conservative shadchanim, strange things began to happen. The line about my master's degree and my scientific publications was cut from my résumé without my knowledge! When I asked the shadchanit why she had done it, her answer stunned me: 'Leah, dear, good boys from serious families are frightened by girls who are too smart and have scientific ambitions. The boy's family immediately thinks: \"She'll be hunched over a dissertation — and who's going to take care of the children and cook the Shabbat dinner?\" Let's just write \"higher education,\" and put the emphasis on how beautifully you bake challahs and how much you love fussing over your nieces and nephews.' I felt unbearably hurt. Why does the system try to mask and hide my intellect — which I consider a gift from Above — so that I'll seem like a more convenient and compliant cook?"