What are the two most highlighted characteristics of the.stereotypical Jewish Mother? Constant worrying, and constant complaining. Here is a wonderful humorous video about Jewish Mother’s worrying and complaining, delivered by a 91.5 years old (!) Jewish Mother.
A lot of thanks to my friend Iriit Jacobson for sending the link.
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
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
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
Now after cooking Shavuot’s traditional dishes, and entertaining family and friends for the Holiday, I can reflect on Megilat Ruth, one of my favorite stories in the Tanach, and its moral.
When I told my friend I plan to blog on the Megila, she questioned whether it wouldn’t be dated since the holiday is behind us. Well, the holiday may be behind us, but the Megila deals with universals themes, which are always relevant and should, in my opinion, be discussed more often. Besides the historical and religious context, this story embraces universal messages that are presented to us through the story of two remarkable women, Naomi and Ruth.
Naomi and Ruth, despite their historical and cultural differences, decided in a very courageous move to put away their differences and to join forces in their desperate moments. Ruth went above and beyond any expectation when she said to Naomi:
“Where you go I will go; where you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). Continue reading
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
