I don't know why there is national pickle week but only one Mother's Day

By Gary Greene

A teacher gave her class of second-graders a lesson about the magnet and what it does.  The next day, in a written test, she included this question: “My name has six letters. The first one is m. I pick up things. What am I?” When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word mother. Yes, mothers do pick up things. But they are much more than “magnets,” gathering up clothes and picking up toys around the house. As willing as many mothers are to do such chores, they have a higher calling.  A good mother loves her family and provides an atmosphere where each member can find acceptance, security, and understanding. She is there when the children need a listening ear, a comforting word, a warm hug, or a loving touch on a fevered brow.

Jewish mothers are just like all other mothers only more so. A young Jewish Mother walks her son to the school bus corner on his first day of kindergarten.   " Behave, my bubaleh" she says. "Take good care of yourself and think about your Mother, tataleh!"  " And come right back home on the bus, schein kindaleh." "Your Mommy loves you a lot, my ketsaleh!"  At the end of the school day the bus comes back and she runs to her son and hugs him. " So what did my pupaleh learn on his first day of school?"  The boy answers, "I learned my name is David."

Jewish mothers have many roles in the family. One of them should be her greatest joy and that is teaching her children to love God and encouraging them to study Torah.  I’m sure you know that famous Yiddish lullaby oifen pripishek.

On the hearth a little fire is burning,

And it is hot in the house,

And the rebbe is teaching the little children.

The Aleph Bet.

See now children, remember dear ones,

What you've learned here;

repeat it again and again

Aleph with kametz is "o"!

Study, children, with great interest,

That is what I tell you;

He who'll know his lessons first,

Will get a banner for a prize. (Refrain)

When you get older, children,

You will understand that this alphabet

Contains the tears and the weeping

of our people.

When you grow weary, children

And burdened with exile,

You will find comfort and strength

within this Jewish alphabet.

When I was working in Springfield, MA, my houses back yard abutted the local Day School play ground.  Consequently, my boys would hear the first bell and walk to school and still arrive in the classroom on time.  As our children left for school my wife Judy would lean out the back window and say, “We love you.  Have a good day. Learn a lot of Torah!”

These kinds of Jewish mother deserves to be honored—not just on one special day a year but every day. That recognition should involve more than words.  It ought to be shown in respect, thoughtfulness, and loving deeds.  Every day should be Mother’s Day.

If Jewish mothers are so important sometimes Jewish grandmothers are even more crucial.  Sometimes modern Jewish mothers don’t have the Jewish skills to raise their child or lacks the inclination. Sometimes Christian mothers are raising their Jewish children.  That’s where Jewish grandmother’s come in.  They are more important than they realize. Grandparents are the doorway to a loving Jewish home atmosphere. Grandchildren and great grandchildren’s early and informal Jewish education in their home has been proven to have a profound influence on their behavior and on the religious character of their future household.

On behalf of all Jewish educators I want to thank all Jewish mothers and grandmothers for being their children’s very first and most important transmitters of Yiddishkeit this Mother’s Day and every day of the year.