Jewish Mothers - Hardcover

Wolf, Lloyd; Wolfson, Paula

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9 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0811827895 ISBN 13: 9780811827898

Publisher: Chronicle Books, 2000

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In this celebration of Jewish women and motherhood, stunning black and white duotones are paired with intimate profiles that evoke the lives of fifty Jewish mothers. Each extraordinary woman featured in this collection shares her powerful insights into the meaning of family, Judaism, love, and community with recollections and observations of Jewish life in America. From rabbis and scholars to activists and artists, these frank and powerful women discuss their views on how to raise a Jewish child in today's world and how they have come to understand their own mothers. A beautiful and inspiring commemoration of Jewish motherhood, Jewish Mothers is the perfect gift for any mother, grandmother, or mother-to-be.

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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 (� 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

About the Author:

Lloyd Wolf is an award-winning photographer from the Washington, DC area. His photographs have appeared in magazines including Vogue, Elle, People, Utne, and Ms., and in Facing The Wall , a book about the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. His photographs are in

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