Jewish Mothers (Hardcover)

by Lloyd Wolf (Author), Paula Wolfson (Author), Paula Wolfson (Author), Lloyd Wolf (Author) "Often the real lessons that our mothers teach us are quite disguised..." (more)
Key Phrases: bat mitzvah, New York, United States, Los Angeles (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
There is an old Jewish proverb that goes, "God could not be everywhere so God invented Jewish mothers." Proof positive is found in the faces and stories of these exquisite Jewish mothers photographed by native son Lloyd Wolf. In assembling this loving tribute to Jewish mothers, Wolf and interviewer Paula Wolfson hoped to dispel the unflattering American myths of smothering mothers (á la Portnoy's Complaint), while elevating the honorable traditions and virtues of Jewish mothering.

Wolf's black-and-white photos offer compelling stories in and of themselves--intimate portraits that capture each woman's essence page after page. Every photo spread is accompanied by a first-person narrative in which these women peel back the layers of their life stories. Psychologist Dr. Carolyn Goodman tells of her son being killed by the Ku Klux Klan during the Civil Rights Movement. Entertainer Shari Lewis speaks of her first Chanukah special with her brainchild puppet Lamb Chop. Patricia Lunior speaks of mothering a son who contracted the HIV virus from a blood transfusion. The paths of these mothers are very different--rabbi, member of the U.S. House of Representatives, mystery writer, Auschwitz survivor, mother of triplets, puppeteer, Nobel Prize winner--but they have much in common, including an unwavering commitment to children, community, and their Jewish heritage. One would be hard-pressed to find a more loving gift book to bestow upon a Jewish mother of any generation. --Gail Hudson

Review
If you don't want your stereotypes of Jewish mothers challenged, ignore this book: 50 women are featured in "Jewish Mothers," but not one is the chicken-soup feeding yente who wants her son to be a doctor and her daughter to marry one. In a short essay, each woman offers a slice of life: Avis Miller, the first female rabbi hired by a major Conservative congregation, talks about pulpit jitters; documentary filmmaker Marcia Jarmel writes eloquently of the importance of kids and motherhood among Orthodox Jews; Sue Willis discusses about the religious discrimination suit she brought against the Pike County, Alabama, Public School district after her kids' teachers "ripped ... Star of David pins" off he children's shirts; Nancy Helman-Shneiderman describes the Jewish ritual she created for women undergoing a hysterectomy. The women's essays are moving, but the black-and-white photographs of each woman are even more arresting: photographer Lloyd Wolf captured midwife Alice Bailes catching a newborn, violinist Alicia Svigals with instrument and baby, and ventriloquist Shari Lewis with Lamb Chop. Even folks who usually disdain coffee-table books will find this one spellbinding. -- From Beliefnet

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (May 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811827895
• ISBN-13: 978-0811827898
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 10.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #902,527 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Gift for Mother's Day, April 26, 2000

By A Customer

This is an excellent book to give to your mother or wife on Mother's Day, or any day of the year just to say thanks for being who you are.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jewish Mothers - A Marvelous Book, June 18, 2000

By A Customer

"Jewish Mothers" is terrific. The diversity of subjects, storytelling images, and biographical essays are excellent windows into the variety and complexity of American Jewish Womanhood. The opening essay about Joyce Antler highlights the importance of Jewish family attitudes in promoting the success and strength of so many of these subjects. The photos which accompany each essay illuminate the experiences and personalities of each woman. My favorite is the joyful exhuberant joyfulness of Rachel Eitches as she nurses her twin babies. Great shot. Readers interested in women's issues, Jewish life and culture, and intergenerational relationships will find this book stimulating. Makes a great bat mitzvah gift.... Alice Gross

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Mothers!, May 3, 2000

By A Customer

Wow, what a powerful and gorgeous book. I have shed tears after reading each woman's story. Every woman has made an impact on the world in her own way.