Zionist leaders, Soviet Jewry, Black-Jewish relations and "Fifth Commandment Day" are among ten touching stories shared in this Mother’s Day link round-up. Dedicated to all the proud Jewish moms and their families.
Jewess Dies at Age of 114 leaves 200 grandchildren (November 2, 1932)
Warsaw –
Chaia Scheiner, aged one hundred and fourteen, died here yesterday.
Mrs. Scheiner is survived by 200 grandchildren.
Mothers Day Appeal Planned in England to Rescue 1000 Children from Reich (April 13, 1939)
LONDON –
A nationwide appeal to the mothers of England for funds to bring an additional 1,000 German refugee children into England will be made on May 13 by the Earl Baldwin Fund for Refugees, it was announced today. The day will be known as "Mothers’ Day."
An equal number of Jewish and Christian children will be rescued from the Reich. Most women’s organizations the country over have recommended to their members participation in street and house-to-house collections on Mothers’ Day.
In a letter in support of the campaign, Countess Baldwin pointed out that 3,000 children had already been brought to England by the Baldwin Fund, but declared that 60,000 "non-Aryan" children were still left in Greater Germany. She appealed for the rescuing of these "innocent victims" so that "they may be allowed to laugh and play again."
Rachel Weizmann, Mother of Zionist Leader, Dies in Palestine at 87 (July 31 1939)
HAIFA, Palestine –
Mrs. Rachel Weizmann, mother of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, world Zionist leader and president of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, died today of pneumonia. She was 87 years old.
During her illness, Dr. Weizmann was in constant telephonic communication with her home from London where he is engaged in preparation for the forthcoming World Zionist Congress at Geneva.
Palestine Jews to Observe "Fifth Commandment day" As Permanent Institution (May 18, 1944)
JERUSALEM –
Palestine Jews will celebrate "Fifth Commandment day," as a permanent institution, similar to the observance of "Mother’s Day" and father’s Day" in the United States.
Leading Jewish official bodies here today decided to proclaim an "Honor Thy Father and Mother Day." The details of the observances are still to be worked out. the Fifth Commandment says: "Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy day may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."
Husbands take over Household Chores on Mothers’ Day in Haifa (December 28, 1951)
HAIFA –
The city of Haifa yesterday celebrated its first Mothers’ Day. The major feature of the day was the giving of gifts to mothers and the taking over of household chores–for one day–by their husbands and children. In addition, all mothers were released from work in industry. Special meetings were held in various parts of the city to explain to children the meaning of the celebration.
A Mother Works Tirelessly to Reunite Children in Russia With Mothers in Israel (April 9, 1970)
WASHINGTON –
Lea Slovin has not seen her daughter for a year. She represents mothers who have not seen their children for as much as 28 years. These mothers and children are being separated by the Soviet Union’s refusal to allow Russian Jews to emigrate to Israel. "These are not political cases," Mrs. Slovin said. "These are very emotional cases. There are 117 mothers and children separated from each other. They are not political people." Mrs. Slovin, a grey eyed redhead, is in the United States to make the plight of these broken families public. She is trying to get public opinion to convince the Russians that families like hers should not be separated by national borders. (Full Story)
Golda is Cited as World Mother of the Decade (May 13, 1974)
NEW YORK –
The Citation of World Mother of the Decade was conferred Friday on Premier Golda Meir in a ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel here. The award, given by the American Mothers Committee, was accepted by Mrs. Shoshan Shlev, wife of the charge d’affaire in the Israeli Embassy in Washington. Premier Meir was chosen as the Mother of the Decade "for her great work for peace" and because she has "devoted her full spirit to the quest for international understanding…."
Mrs. Meir, in a direct telephone message from Jerusalem that was delivered on a loud speaker to more than 1000 guests, thanked the American Mothers Committee for the honor and made a plea for peace in the world. She said she has never forgotten that the soldiers who die at the battlefield are sons of mothers, and that mothers through educating their children can contribute to peace and understanding in the world. The AMC, with a membership of more than 50,000 American women, also cited Mrs. Indira Ghandi for her contribution to world peace.
Mommy’s Day Turns into Poppy’s Day (May 15 1974)
JERUSALEM –
It took almost 40 years for the Jerusalem police to discover that the poppy plants which decorated the colorful King David Hotel garden could be used to produce opium. But then, when the discovery was finally made Sunday. It was with outside help–American security officers who escort Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger while residing in that hotel. They were the ones who made the discovery and brought it to the attention of the Jerusalem police.
Police arrested two of the hotel’s gardeners, but they were not sure they had anything to do with it. Only after questioning them did the police find that the plants have been growing in the garden for the last 40 years. "It could very well be," said the Jerusalem deputy police chief, "that they were just growing there for beauty."
Jews and Blacks Still Together, Says Mother of Slain Activist by Susan Birnbaum (July 07, 1987)
NEW YORK –
Jews and Blacks still are working together, says Carolyn Goodman, mother of Andrew Goodman, the civil rights worker who was killed by white supremacists 23 years ago in Meridian, Miss. Carolyn Goodman was guest of honor Sunday night at the opening mass meeting of the 78th annual convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People held here at the Sheraton Centre and the Hilton hotels.
Goodman said that the media built up divisions between Blacks and Jews that aren’t really there. "I don’t think there’s a rift," she told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "I know many Jewish people who work for Black issues. I think there have been reports of rifts because of certain tensions that have arisen, but I don’t think relations between Blacks and Jews are any worse than in the 1960’s."
NAACP executive director Benjamin Hooks promised that the NAACP would do all it could to fight the nomination of Federal Judge Robert Bork to the Supreme Court.
Mother of Ryan White Dedicates an AIDS Memorial Forest in Israel by Michele Chabin (May 10, 1993)
LAHAV, Israel –
Ryan White, the American teen-ager whose courageous battle against AIDS — and the prejudice surrounding it — changed the way society perceives people with the disease, was remembered Sunday during the emotional dedication of the AIDS Memorial Forest here in the northern Negev.
White, a hemophiliac, contracted the virus that causes AIDS at age 12 through a tainted blood-clotting agent.
The forest, which will be planted and maintained by the Jewish National Fund, is slated to contain 10,000 trees, 5,000 of which have already been donated
…"I’m a Methodist and very spiritual, and my faith has helped me through the worst times," Jeanne White said afterward. "It’s a special feeling to be in the Holy Land.
"It’s also Mother’s Day," she noted, "and I feel especially close to Ryan today. I miss him very much today." (Full Story)
More:
Observance of Holidays By Jewish Youth Increasing Says Welfare Board (August 11, 1926)
Hadassah to Mark Mothers’ Day by Palestine Tree Planting (May 5, 1930)
Parade to Mark Mothers’ Day (May 9, 1934)
Aid Reich Jews on Mothers’ Day, Mrs. Straus Asks at Tea (May 11, 1934)
Mother’s Day: When killing them isn’t an option by Wendy Mogel (May 9, 2006)
Two Generations, two styles: a grandson looks back at his family by Samuel G. Freedman (May 6, 2005)
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