Mother Stories
- Leann Shamash
- 1 day ago
- 20 min read
Updated: a few seconds ago
The books of Breisheet and Shemot are connected by the listing the names of the sons of Jacob. After that preliminary step and necessary connection we are introduced to a new set of characters, most of whom remain unnamed for now.
Central to Parshat Shemot is the power of mothers. Both Yocheved and Bityah (the daughter of Pharaoh) are fighters and are willing to defy the system. One mother, Yocheved, is willing to risk her son’s life to save him and one directly challenged her father, Pharaoh’s orders by saving a Hebrew child and bringing him up within the leader’s household.
These heroic efforts indicate the powers of mothers. Mothers presented with problems make efforts to solve them. Mothers are multitaskers, asked to tackle multiple complicated issues many times each day.
Not all mothers are the same and not all mothers possess the skills above, but for this week we will celebrate what mothers give to their children. In modern lingo maybe they would be called super powers, but they are not solved with magic or special effects, just with guts and sweat.
I want to say (or declare!) that this week, Parshat Shemot, is Mother’s Day in January. It’s not the Hallmark, commercially driven Mother’s Day, but the real blood, sweat and tears , hard work Mother’s Day, led by the gutsy women of Parshat Shemot.
I hope you enjoy these brief vignettes about mothers as much as I do. Thank you to those of you who answered my call for Mother Stories. It is your contributions that make this post so special. Each one touched me deeply and I am so proud to honor these moms.
There are many stories that grace this page.
Take your time with them. Savor them and appreciate that each was contributed with love.
It's not too late to add your story. Please send to leannshamash@gmail.com
Shabbat shalom,
Leann
Memories of My Mom
Looking back on my life, my mom always seemed to do it all with ease. She raised five
kids and I was the middle child. In spite of the reputation of the middle child, I was
always made to feel special. She taught me valuable life skills through example. Kind,
supportive, resourceful, putting others first…She taught me the priceless lesson of
compassion for the less fortunate. I watched her volunteer throughout her life, focusing
on making sure other community members were fed. I have taken over the torch and
my focus is the same in my retirement. I try to make her proud. What a woman. Almost
superhuman!
SK
_________
I need to start this off telling you that I loved my mother.
My mother always told me (and my sisters) that the best thing she ever did was to have children. I’m the oldest of 3 sisters ,my middle sister passed unexpectedly, suddenly, 24 years ago. My mother would not go to the funeral…… saying she would not bury a child.
My mother was tough…
My mother was well liked/loved, by her friends,my friends, family, my sisters’ friends….. she was funny, creative ,great cook, an artist…. Everything… except for warm and fuzzy. She had very different relationships with each of us, I guess not unlike most mothers and their children. She was tough, and I don’t remember ever seeing her upset or sad. She survived 2 very serious accidents… on a bus that was hit by a train (long before I was born) and a car accident (including my father, myself and sisters) when I was 6. She was the most seriously injured spending the next 2 months in the hospital. She was told she would never walk again…. and she proved them (drs) wrong and eventually went back to figure skating. She was an amazing cook, a creative artist, she was always very upbeat, didn’t let anything get her down. She said ‘any day you wake up in the morning is a good day’.
She adored her grandchildren, especially enjoyed her grandson (my son)….. she always wanted a boy and got 3 girls….
She was not warm and fuzzy, (which I missed) but she was very close and loving with her grandchildren.
I miss her terribly. When something happens in our family or in our world, my sister and I always ask each other ‘what would mom do? What would mom say? She was always a voice of reason to me. I wish I could have a conversation with her now, before her dementia set in. Ask her some questions. Get some insight.
My mother died 1 hour before her 93rd birthday, 7 years ago. I’m still working through it.
JGM
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My mom is pure strength. She raised four kids, one with disabilities, while somehow making each of us feel seen, supported, and special. She was always involved… and i mean REALLY involved (PTO president, philanthropic, present at games, meets and events), even while juggling so much.
Some of my favorite childhood memories are my school projects we did together: an elaborate book kite for The English Roses, hundreds of dumplings made by hand for an “around the world” food day, reading and loving the book So B. It. She didn’t just help… she showed up fully, every time.
She is also the light of every room she enters: outgoing, joyful, deeply devoted to her friends… a true Leo in every sense. She taught us never to quit without seeing something through, and was the first step for all of us in finding our paths, from colleges to jobs and everything in between. Her positivity is unwavering, and BRIGHT even when things are dark. Knowing how proud she is of me, even at my lowest, has been one of the greatest gifts of my life.
Because of her, I have the deepest appreciation for motherhood. It doesn’t scare me, though I can understand and see that you are only as happy as your happiest child on any given day.
I feel deeply connected to motherhood, and am grateful not only for the mom I was given, but for the love that I have met along the way through other moms that can feel like my own (my mother in law, my aunts, my grandmas, the moms who raised my closest friends, the babysitters who acted as my moms at times, my cousins, my friends who have turned into moms, my friends who are currently pregnant for their first time).
As I enter my next life chapter, I am so excited to (G-d willing) carry that legacy forward one day. I hope to instill the same values into my future kids one day. L’dor V’dor.
BGK
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I didn't grow up in a tactile family. Not into hugs or kisses or hand holding. But for a while, a few years into my mom's dementia diagnosis, she hugged everyone.
This past visit, my brother warned me that she's gotten restless and can get aggressive. My mom paces all day and all night. But on Saturday, when I visited just after breakfast, she lay in bed and reached for my hand. We held hands for an hour.
There are too many things that I miss about my mother, but in that moment, with her hand holding mine, I focused on the softness of her hand and the warmth we shared. I didn't get lost in the missing, but centered myself in her touch.
SM
Photos by Sarah Marie Aliberti Jette
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Mom,
If you are somewhere/ someplace right above the clouds, please know that we miss you still.
I hope that you look in on us sometime...the messy crew you created.
Filene's Basement isn't there anymore, mom, but I think Loehmann's still exists.
Your kids are grown up and growing old. We have white hair now, mom. You would laugh and say we are graying like you or maybe like dad.
We don't play Scrabble much since you left us. You would not be so happy with all of the two letter words we use and I can picture your dirty look at a word like za.
Whenever I drive in the direction of Revere and see Shirley Ave I think of you and my stomach isfilled with a hard knot. Somewhere in Revere you will always live. Marstons Mills, and West Medford, too.
The Red Sox miss you, mom. The Pats, too.
You wouldn't be so happy with the state of affairs these days. You would most certainly cuss.
There are lots of backs that miss your back tickling and lots of great grandkids who still hear about your magic circle. We loved your magic circle, ma.
The world is not quite the same place without you.
LS
________
To Our Mothers,
From my first day and even before you have been with me, and until my last day and even beyond you will not leave me.
At every step and every tumble your gentle hand and loving eyes protected me.
Hardships and tears you gladly bore, so long as they could bring me even a little smile.
My joys were your joys, magnified ten times, and my sorrows tore your heart more than mine.
In everything I have, you have a large but silent share.
At times you annoyed me and at more times I saddened you, but you quickly forgave and loved even more.
When you could no longer always be there, you sent your fervent prayers to accompany me.
I still hear your voice piercing the Heavens begging for my blessings.
Without you, Mother, just where would I be…
Anonymous
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Though she lived to be eighty four, in some ways my mom never stopped being a girl. She loved to have fun and especially loved connecting with other people. So much so, she even looked forward to funerals. Afterall, isn’t a funeral a certain kind of party? Once, long before she passed, my mom told me she wished she could attend her own funeral. I’m sure if her spirit had peeked in on it, she surely would have loved it.
Bonnie Arky
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A Mother’s Legacy
I recently hosted some old friends for a Shabbat meal. Afterward, I received a beautiful message from one of the guests: “You are a terrific hostess and a lovely lady… just like your mom.”
I treasure both the message and the compliment. My mother passed away suddenly when she was only 57. I recently celebrated my 69th birthday, meaning I have now lived twelve years longer than she did—twelve years during which children married and grandchildren were born. I often think about how much my mother missed, and yet I feel her presence with us constantly.
There is a well-known midrash in Talmud Ta’anit, referenced in this past week’s parsha, Vayechi: “Yaakov Avinu lo met”—Jacob our father did not die”. Of course, this does not mean that Yaakov lived forever physically, but rather that his legacy endured.
This is how my mother lives on. In gestures and words, in the way a table is set and a home is opened, and through the person I have become. In that sense she is very much present. Her legacy did not fade; it found its way forward. My mother’s life, her love, and her spirit are always here, moving through me.
DS
—————-
My mom, Irene Lisman Freedberg. was unique, as we all are. One of the most unique traits about her was that she was an identical twin. Her “twinness” meant that we were always talking and thinking about what made her special. The sameness was so very obvious. The twinkle in her eyes was also a twinkle in Aunt Adelle’s. That beautiful smile lived for 20 years after her death in the smile of my aunt. However, her unique way of listening and bringing out the best in people was just her. Friends, relatives, and strangers all opened up to her. They shared their dreams and hopes and she helped them find a way to reach them. She was a listener extraordinaire. I didn’t always appreciate that trait. As a teenager I didn’t want to tell her everything, I wanted my space. And yet, she had a way of bringing it all out. Now, I wish I could have her ear to share the challenges of the world, but more importantly, to share all the beauty that has grown from the family she created.
Margie Bogdanow
________________
My mom is the most amazing person in the world.
And I love her so so much.
She lives for her family and always put her loved ones first.
She made sure we have everything we needed even though it was very hard journey to do so.
She worked a full time job and took care of us, the house, food and everything in between. And she did it all in a happy and loving way, making it look easy even when it was not.
She is kind to people and always stays nice and respectful to them even if they don't deserve it.
I always saw her helping people and donating even when she didn't have enough.
She is inspirational.
She is the kind of person that you are happy to be around and she adds good and positivity to the world.
She takes what I believe to be the real essence of any religion which is to be a good person and kind to others.
She makes me believe in the good of this world and I wish there would be more people like her. The world would be a much better place
AB
——————-
In 2021 my mom turned 95. That year I retired from my job of 35 years and my husband and I welcomed our second grandchild. Our three children were grown, married and well along in their lives and careers; and I found myself thinking a lot about who I was in my mid-60s and how I want to age. That inquiry is partially about what I will do with my skills and time and partially about how I will interact with the people I love and respond as life inevitably changes in ways over which I have less and less control.
Every time I see my mom she is smaller, literally shrinking before my eyes. She’s lost a lot of mobility, her bones are brittle and her muscles are weak. She needs help with the most basic daily functions. Her physical vulnerability seems to have triggered an emotional vulnerability that was always there but is now on full display as she retells her list of regrets. It is hard to hear a 95+ year old woman rehash regrets going back three quarters of a century, but that is what vulnerability looks like.
At the same time her increasing vulnerability has magnified and reframed her significant strengths. Mom has a terrific sense of humor, she is open-minded and hungry for new experiences, she is grateful even though she has suffered significant loss, she loves learning and there are no bounds to the joy she takes in everything having to do with her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren.
I used to think I was more unlike than like my mom but now I look to her as a model—hoping that I age with some measure of her strength and grace.
FS
_______
My mother is a rare combination of immense strength and an incredibly huge heart. Coming from a traditional Persian background where women were not always encouraged to be independent or dominant, she refused to accept the status quo. Instead of conforming to an environment that didn't fully empower women, she challenged every boundary and shattered conventions. Her determination was so strong that she made the bold move to Israel to truly self-actualize and define her own destiny, proving she is a woman who plays by her own rules. Here at home, she is the engine that drives us and the glue that holds our entire family together. Whether it is the bond between us siblings or our connection with Dad, everything rests on her shoulders, and she carries it with grace. She wraps us all in warmth and endless support, yet she also knows exactly how to stand her ground when necessary. She is the most wonderful mother a child could ever hope for, a true role model and an inspiration to us all.
IR
________
When I think of my mother, I remember her wanting always to feed me in my younger years, because I was a very bad eater like my children. Going on errands with my mom, involved a sandwich for me in her pocket book! She knew I would need it before we went back home!
She used to sit next to my bed, while I was reading, begging me to take one more bite!
I can see her busy in the kitchen, stuffing grape leaves, frying fish, making a Tagin in the oven! Her life was about hosting relatives! So, food for her was how she expressed love!
Anonymous
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My sister and I were always taught to stay curious, try everything once and to stay honest and true to ourselves. Our mom started a daycare to be able to stay with us when we were young and became our girl scout leader to spend more time with us when we were older. She drove me to ballet and cooked all of our dinners. Only after moving out of the house did I realize she didn't like cooking all that much but did it, every night, for us. I am grateful to resemble her so closely, both in appearance and personality. I love her for her strengths but also her weaknesses, knowing she wouldn’t be the mom that I admire so much without them.
JM
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When I was little, I would watch my mom write letters and thank you cards - her handwriting and script lettering amazed me. I was happy just to sit next to her when she ate - feeling special to be her table buddy. She always made me something different than what she was eating (something more kid friendly) - little did she know I would have gladly eaten whatever she was having just to be like her. She never criticized how I looked or dressed or ate - something I wish all my girl friends had experienced, and which I know almost none of them did. I always felt supported and championed by her. She is the reason I have the independence and confidence I do. She made me feel like I was capable of anything and everything. Almost to a fault actually! And when she calls me perfect, which she does out of love, it's one of the things that is hardest for me to hear - but with her, I try to understand where it's coming from. It is not lack of recognition of effort and grit, but wonder at her own creation. And that is a beautiful thing. We are oh so different she and I - which sometimes makes connecting hard - but I hope she knows how much joy I get in celebrating milestones and moments with her. Of sharing special days with her and my children. I hope she knows how much thought I put into making her feel special and seen. The same way she made me feel in my most wonderful childhood with her.
MB
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אמא שלי גדלה ללא אמא בבית.היתה לה אמא חורגת שלא נתנה לה בכלל אהבה וגם ניסתה להפריד בין אמא שלי ואבא שלה-סבא שלי שהוא היה בן אדם טוב. אחרי שאמא שלי התחתנה ויצאה מבית של אבא היתה עם חמה -סבתא שלי שלא ידעה לתת אהבה .סבתא שלי עבדה קשה ופרנסה את המשפחה וזה לא היה פשוט.אנחנו מאד אהבנו את הסבתא. אמא שלי עטפה את הילדים שלה ואת כל המשפחה של אבא שלי באהבה.דודות ודודים שלי תמיד סיפרו ועדיין מספרים שקיבלו חיבוק אמאהי ויחס מאמא שלי ,הרבה יותר מאמא שלהם-סבתא שלי. איך נערה שלא חיבקו ולא פינקו אותה ושלא היתה לה חיים פשוטים,רק פיזרה טוב ואהבה ללא לרצות משהו בתמורה.היתה אחת ויחידה.מאד מתגעגעת אליה.יהיה זכרה ברוך
My mother grew up without a mother at home. She had a stepmother who gave her no love at all and also tried to separate my mother and her father, my grandfather, who was a good person. After my mother got married and left my father's house, she had a mother-in-law-(my grandmother) who did not know how to give love. My grandmother worked hard and provided for the family, and it was not easy. We loved my grandmother very much.
My mother enveloped her children and my father's entire family with love. My aunts and uncles always said and still say that they received a motherly hug and care from my mother, much more than from their mother, my grandmother.
How could a girl who was not hugged or pampered and who did not have an easy life, only spread goodness and love without wanting anything in return? She was one and only. I miss her very much. May her memory be a blessing.
MB
__________
My Mother and the Synagogue
I want to tell you a story about my mother Sarah. My mother was an amazing,
extraordinary woman and and I have so many stories about her and my father
and their 9 children. And my name is Elisheva because I was number 7. But today
I want to tell you about my mother and the synagogue and the joy of reading.
My parents grew up in Yemen, where they lived in a small village and their life
was very simple. They did not have running water or electricity. There was no
school for children the way we have here. The boys went to a Heder to learn how
to read the Torah but the girls could not go. My understanding is that it was
against the rules to teach girls how to read. And so my mother Sarah could not
read.
But my mother wanted to learn, so when her father was preparing for the
Shabbat reading she listened secretly and memorized everything she could –
psukim (verses) from the Torah and sayings from the Mishna and from the
Talmud.
In 1949, only a year or so after Israel was founded, my parents and grandparents
and aunts and uncles all came to Israel from Yemen, as part of “Operation Magic
Carpet”. When my parents first came to Israel, the orthodox synagogue my father
went to didn’t have a space for the women. Only males went to pray. My mother
really wanted to hear the prayers so she decided, even before I was born, we
would build a new synagogue and it would be in our own yard, with a room for
the women. This was a community efforts and family and friends donated money
and their work skill and my parents donated half of our yard for this project.
Every Shabat the prayers started at 6:00 AM, and it was so close to our house that
my mother herself did not even need to go to the room in the synagogue. She
would sit on the balcony and my sisters and I would still be in our beds, and the
prayers and readings filled the whole house.
My brothers needed to study every week for that week’s parasha, and it was my
father’s responsibility to prepare my brothers every day of the week so that they
would be ready to read on Shabat. But my mother would listen and correct my
brothers to, because she had learned so much of the Tora
My sisters and I did not study the parasha, but my mother wanted all here
children to have an education, so all the boys and girls were expected to study
hard and all my sisters and brothers went to university and became doctors and
engineers.
And finally when my mother was 60 years old and her children were grown up,
she attended a special government program called “tehila” and she learned to
read, and her greatest pleasure was to be able to read the siddur and pray every
morning.
E.H.
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.אני זוכרת את אמא כ"אידישע מאמא", אמא דואגת שמחכה לשובי בעומדה במרפסת. אמא מסורה, בישלה נהדר. אפילו הגיס הפרסי שלי אהב את הגפילטע פיש שהכינה. אמא הסתפקה במועט. אני זוכרת את הנסיעות שלנו לנצרת לקנות בדים ונעליים..תודה ליאן שבזכותך אני נזכרת בתכונות של אמא האהובה שלנו.
I remember my mother as a "Yiddish mother", a caring mother who waited for my return standing on the porch. A devoted mother, she cooked wonderfully. Even my Persian brother-in-law loved the gefilte fish she made. Mother was content with little. I remember our trips to Nazareth to buy fabrics and shoes.
P
___________________
My mother Gloria was an independent woman ahead of her time. She was creative and chose not to go to college as the only two avenues available to her were nursing or teaching. She worked for her father during WWII making glass figurines in his factory. She then went to work as an Art Therapist at Bellevue Hospital in NYC. She loved living in NYC and much to her chagrin ended up in living in the suburbs of NJ. She found the life of a housewife very unfulfilling and when my brother was nine and I was five years old she went to work at a local department store. She was so good at putting together outfits for the customers that she was promoted to being the main floor woman's clothing buyer. Of course, that meant she had to work full time and she received a lot of criticism from our neighbors regarding how my brother and I would turn out! She was happy and productive and a great role model. She loved to arrange flowers and was so good at it that the local garden club asked her to be the judge so that other people had a chance to win! My mother's other big love was her dogs. She used to say that our dog was her third child. And we would say that her four legged child was her favorite! My mother was street smart, feisty, cultured, and loyal to her friends and family.
BF
————
Amy Solomon
This piece is called Brooklyn Beauty.
These days I often find myself thinking: What would Edith do?
Mama que no jode es tia
There is a saying in Spanish that translates in English to : “A mother who doesn’t annoy her child is called an aunt." But I want to talk about how special my mom is, and give a shoutout to all my tías out there.
My mom is the strongest person I know. Losing one of her children yet finding the strength and will to keep going for her other two sons—that's what I admire most about her.
I also want to shout out my aunts and grandmothers, who are like second mothers to me. They want to see their nieces and nephews flourish in life as if we were their own kids.
G.G.
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הניה שניידר ז"ל שהיתה אשה "פשוטה" וצנועה אך בעלת יכולות וכישרון בתחומים מגוונים. את היצירתיות שלי אני חבה לאמא. אמא היתה תופרת ובעת המלחמה הארורה באירופה ניצלו היא ואחיותיה בזכות יכולתה לבצע תיקוני בגדים. עבור עבודתה קיבלה מהאוקראינים קליפות תפוח אדמה ושאריות מזון. בזכות אלו הן שרדו! כל השנים אני יוצרת תופרת רוקמת סורגת ויוצרת קישוטים. בבית בעפולה בו גדלתי עמדה מכונת תפירה שתמיד היתה פתוחה ועמוסה בפיסות בד שמיועדות לתפירה. שום בגד לא נזרק לפח. תמיד אפשר היה לעשות שימוש חוזר ברוכסן ובפס דנטל שמקשט אותו...שימלת השיפון בגוונים של ורוד פוקסיה סגול ואדום שתפרה לי לכבוד אירוע החתונה של פנינה ושמעון ז"ל עדיין שמורה אצלי. בערוב ימיה אמא התגוררה בסמוך לבית שלנו בפרדסיה. נהגתי להכין לה בכל יום את כוס הקפה שאהבה. מה שהיה אירוע מבדח כי אף פעם לא הצלחתי לדייק את מידת החום של הקפה. אמא אהבה אותו ממש רותח אמא מצידה צחקה שהכוס שהרגשתי לה מלאה מדי והיא תמיד שופכת קפה על השולחן . תודה ליאן שחיברת אותי לזיכרון מחמם לב
Translation:
Hania Schneider, who was a "simple" and modest woman, but who had abilities and talent in various fields.
I owe my creativity to my mother. My mother was a seamstress, and during the bloody war in Europe, she and her sisters were saved thanks to her ability to repair clothes. For her work, she received potato peelings and leftover food from the Ukrainians. Thanks to these, they survived! All these years, I have been a seamstress, embroiderer, knitter, and maker of decorations. In the house in Afula where I grew up, there was a sewing machine that was always open and loaded with pieces of fabric intended for sewing. No garment was thrown away. It was always possible to reuse the zipper and the dental strip that decorates it... The chiffon dress in shades of pink, fuchsia, purple, and red that she sewed for me in honor of the wedding of Pnina and the late Shimon, is still in my possession.
* In her later years, my mother lived near our house in Pardesiya. I used to make her the cup of coffee she loved every day. Which was a funny event because I could never get the coffee to be exactly hot. Mom liked it really hot🙂 Mom laughed that the cup I brought was too full for her and she always spilled coffee on the table.
DSR
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My Mom implanted within the three of us, the emotional intelligence to know how to say כי טוב as did Moshe’s mother, echoing God’s sentiments in response to creation. It was my mother’s influence that raised me in a traditional Jewish setting. This enabled me to learn how to praise Hodu L’Adonai כי טוב Ki l’Olam Hasdo.
WH
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My mother, an identical twin, who stood only 4 feet 10 inches short, was a powerhouse. There was nothing that she could not do. She was a career woman who moved away from her Boston family as a young woman to work in Lowell in the late 1920's to help her family financially. However, she kept in touch with her loved ones by writing letters to them on a daily basis. She was the office manager of 26 people in Lowell. In those days, moving out of the house for a single woman was a major move.
My mom was very progressive. She used one of the first hair dryers. It was made of steel with a picture of a young woman on the side of it. Growing up I watched my mom use an electric mangler console to iron the sheets, my dad's shirts and all other items that needed ironing. In addition to all the housework that she performed, she went out to work as the bookkeeper and office manager at the Diamond Parlor Furniture company in the North End. She was one of the first women to dress in pant suits. During the winter instead of wearing dresses, she thought it was better to wear slacks since they would keep you warmer while waiting for the streetcar.
Yes my mom was a hard working, smart woman who was devoted to her immediate family as well as being the matriarch of the extended family.
FP
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Other posts in Words Have Wings on Parshat Shemot:
https://www.wordshavewings.net/post/that-hand-upon-your-shoulder THAT HAND UPONE YOUR SHOULDER
https://www.wordshavewings.net/post/names-are-like-sweaters NAMES ARE LIKE SWEATERS
https://www.wordshavewings.net/post/five-women-and-a-girl FIVE WOMEN AND A GIRL
WHO CHANGED THE WORLD
https://www.wordshavewings.net/post/anywhere-anytime ANYWHERE, ANYTIME