Dateline Jerusalem — Mother's Day last Sunday supposedly was the busiest day for telephone calls in the United States. More Americans observe Mother's Day than almost any other day. Florists, candy stores, and restaurants do a great business. Generations of mothers get together. In Israel, though, there is no official Mother's Day, at least not the commercialized day associated with the second Sunday in May.
Once there was a Mother's Day in Israel, 30 years ago, that eventually evolved into Family Day, an unofficial holiday usually celebrated only by kindergarten children. Israeli feminists were the ones who pushed Mother's Day into Family Day. I do not consider myself a feminist, although my choice of careers as a former police officer and lawyer might suggest otherwise. I like the idea of a mother being placed on a pedestal, honored for her maternal contributions.
How It Began
Although Deborah, the ancient biblical prophetess and judge, often is referred to as the Mother of Israel, observance of Mother's Day in Israel commemorated the 1945 death of Henrietta Szold. She founded Hadassah Women's Zionist Organization of America, which funded hospitals, a medical school, and various social welfare services in Jerusalem in the early part of the last century. One of Ms. Szold’s most important endeavors was her dedication to youth aliyah, an organization that helped rescue over 30,000 Jewish children from Nazi Europe. Although she never had children of her own, these often orphaned refugee children looked to her as their mother.
For me, every day is Mother's Day. In Judaism, the Torah commands us to honor our parents at all times, the fifth of the Ten Commandments. The Talmud equates honoring parents to honoring G-d. Perhaps that is why a commercialized Mother's Day holiday is meaningless and never caught on in Israel. For Israelis, actions speak louder than words. Having a child who honors his/her parent every day by showing respect, gratitude and love through his/her actions toward that parent is more important than receiving flowers and candy, going out to eat, or getting a telephone call to Mom once a year on a specific day just because someone declared that day Mother's Day.
I am proud to be a daughter, mother, and grandmother to the most wonderful family. Truly I have been blessed. Thanks from this sometimes overbearing, overprotective, overzealous queen-of-the-guilt-trip Jewish mother.
L'hitraot. Shachar
