Dateline Jerusalem — Mother’s Day?  In Israel, every day is Mother’s Day.  This weekend most of the world will be celebrating the typical commercialized Mother’s Day that people associate with the second Sunday in May — flowers, candy, dinner out, and sometimes a once-a- year telephone call from their children.

In Judaism, the Fifth Commandment is to always honor our parents. The Talmud equates honoring parents to honoring G-d.  Therefore, in Israel when we express love and gratitude to our parents every day of our lives, we are observing Mother’s Day and Father’s Day.  Perhaps that is why a commercialized Mother’s Day holiday is meaningless.  Never caught on in Israel.

For Israelis, actions speak louder than words.  Therefore as a parent, nothing is more meaningful than having a child show honor, respect, gratitude and love through actions without the commercialization involved in observing Mother’s Day on one specific day of the year just because someone declared Mother’s Day.

Although 35 years ago there was a Mother’s Day in Israel commemorating the passing of Henrietta Szold, a Zionist who never had any children of her own. She devoted her life to children and established an organization that saved the lives of thousands of Jewish children during the Holocaust.

That Mother’s Day evolved into Yom HaMishpachah, Family Day.  It is not an official Israeli holiday. Usually it is observed only by kindergarten children. Believe it or not, Israeli feminists were the ones who pushed Mother’s Day into Family Day.

Although many consider me a feminist, as my choice of careers as a former police officer and former attorney suggest, I do not believe everything should be gender neutral. According to traditional Judaism, women are at a higher level than men.  They are endowed with a greater amount of intuition, understanding and intelligence than men.

Scientists have recently concluded that children inherit their intelligence from their mothers. In terms of prophesy, the matriarchs were superior to the patriarchs.  I see nothing wrong with mothers being held on a pedestal and acknowledged for their unique contributions as women.  However, there is an International Day of Unity for Jewish Women that is observed on the 11th of the Hebrew month of Cheshvan to honor the passing of the Biblical matriarch Rachel.

Sometimes I may be an overbearing,  overprotective, overzealous, queen of the guilt trip Jewish mother.  Yet that is because I care.

I raised my children the best way I knew.

Despite my many mistakes, I have been blessed with children who have grown into wonderful adults who have made me proud to be their mother.  I have often told my married daughter that she is the kind of mother I wish I had been to her and her siblings.  What better Mother’s Day gift than to have children and grandchildren who give me joy. I cherish their love every day of the year.

This essay is dedicated to my mother, may she rest in peace, who passed away earlier this year.  She was a special woman.  I appreciated the fact that she was always there for me whenever I needed her.

L’hitraot.  Shachar