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The Schmooze

Jerusalem Family Welcomes 18th Child

Talk about being fruitful and multiplying!

A Jerusalem family has just greeted its 18th child, the Jewish Chronicle reported today. The arrival of the Hasidic baby boy brings the family total to nine sons and nine daughters, and should provide yet one more reason for the clan’s two washing machines to continue working “non-stop.”

The London-based Chronicle didn’t identify the family, other than to give the first name and age of the mother, 44-year-old Rivka. Rivka described her household as loud and messy, but said her husband helps out by making sandwiches for the children each morning – a task that takes nearly an hour. (Making sandwiches strikes The Shmooze as the least he could do, but then, The Shmooze has never attempted to raise 18 kids.)

Potential playmates for the newcomer include his older sibling’s children – he’s already an uncle to two. Being fruitful appears to run in the family. Rivka herself has 15 brothers and sisters.

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