Category Archives: Family

The Modern Jewish Nomad

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no·mad  (nmd)

1. A member of a group of people who have no fixed home and move according to the seasons from place to place in search of food, water, and grazing land.

2. A person with no fixed residence who roams about; a wanderer.

One of my son’s favorite questions on our short ride to school in the morning is “Ima what am I” and it goes like this:

Son: Ima, am I German?

Me: Yes, Abba’s mother (paternal grandmother) is German, she came to Israel when she was a little girl.

 Son: Am I Ukrainian?

Me: Yes, my Saba (mother’s grandfather) came from Ukraine to Argentina.

Son:  Am I Argentinean?

Me: Yes, I was born in Argentina and moved to Israel when I was 7 years old.

Son: Am I an Israeli?

Me: Yes, Abba was born in Israel.

And by the time I pull up by the drop off lane we wandered through Europe, America (north and south) and Asia. I tell him the story of our ancestors and I can see through the rear-view mirror how he fills with pride as yet another country is added to his heritage. Continue reading →

Putting my life on Pause – Fantasies of a Working Mom

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Rat Race (Photo Credit: Wikipedia)

I’ve always imagined that whoever invented the terms rat race had me in mind. I’m a career woman, juggling a demanding job with a demanding family, complete with three children, and a husband who frequently goes on business trips and leaves me to cope with everything on my own. Not that I’m complaining. Everyone is healthy. My children are wonderful and they are mostly independent; my husband is loving and supportive, and I do have a job – which in this economy is something to be thankful for. But sometimes, just sometimes, when I feel things go totally crazy, I wish I could grab the remote control and press the Pause button. 

If Only We Had a Pause Button to our Lives

You noticed I didn’t say Stop, or Erase, or even Back.  No, no, I love my family and even if there are things I could have done differently and, let’s admit it, better, I would never go backwards in time and change anything that would have led to this moment, and to the  blessings I have with my children. All I want is to put things on hold, so I could take a break, sit down for a little bit, and just relax. Continue reading →

Present Continuous – A Mother’s instinct

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This is the first time that a trailer left such a large impact on me. I watched it in the morning before leaving to work and I could not stop thinking about it all day long. When I ask myself what is so special about this trailer I realized that these 2:22 minutes told a story about all the things that I care most; Family, Israel and Motherhood in its purest shape.

Present Continuous tells the story of a mother that on a Friday afternoon, while everyone is asleep, locks up her family members at home. Rutty is unable to deal with the stress and anxiousness she suffers from due to Israel’s continuous tense situation. She decides to protect her family: Ofer - a 19 year old soldier, Noa - a 15 year old teenager and Yoel – her husband. They all wake up to a locked house, disconnected from any means of communication. Continue reading →

Hannukah vs. Christmas

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When my son was 3 years old he said to me: “Imma, I do not want to celebrate Hannukah, because it is at night and there are no decorations, and I want to wait for Santa to bring me presents”

Although we had lived in America, I thought of us as an Israeli family. We speak Hebrew at home. We mention the state of Israel many times a day.  I was certain we were “assimilation proof”.

My son’s statement came as a complete shock and taught me that the “Jewish built-in component” in my Israeli identity is not immune to the triggers and temptations that are out there in the Diaspora, like waiting for Santa Claus’s Reindeer.  Continue reading →

Mother more important than father, Really? Father’s Day Reflections

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father important to child well being

Father’s role not less important than mother’s

A mother bird gets in front of the big bad cat to draw attention away from her chicks.

Harry Potter’s mother dying to save him.

An Indiana mother  loses two legs when protecting her children during Tornado.   Continue reading →

Jewish Mother Jokes

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JAM? Jewish American Mom? Like in  JAP? Jewish American Princess?

And that’s why you’re calling your blog JAMShome.com? Really Mom?

You don’t want to associate yourselves with JAPs. There are so many bad jokes about JAPs.

This from my sixteen year old daughter.

Yes, there are a lot of jokes about JAPs but not as many as there are about the Jewish Mother.

According to Wikipedia, the Jewish Mother ” stereotype generally involves a nagging, overprotective manipulative, controlling,

In New York Stories, Woody Allen’s overbearing mother appears in heaven only to embarrass him in front of the entire city of New York

smothering, and overbearing mother or wife, one who persists in interfering in her children’s lives long after they have become adults.” We object to the manipulative and controlling, but we admit to the nagging and overprotective, and we look forward to remaining in our children’s lives long after they become adults. Also, we want to remind you all that everything that we do, we do for our children’s well-being. We never, ever, think about ourselves… Continue reading →

Becoming a Jewish Mother

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Menorah and a Torah Scroll - Main Jewish Symbols

I  became a Jewish mother when my first son was born over twenty years ago but I didn’t fully absorb being a Jewish mother until much, much later.

One beautiful Saturday afternoon, as our firstborn, six months old at a time, was taking a nap, my husband and I were watching TV. The window was open and the sounds of children playing in the yard drifted into our room. Continue reading →