Love and Hate on Mother’s Day

by Nina Fondiller Woldin

The Sunday before last was Mother’s Day, and we spent it with our kids in Hoboken – eldest daughter, son-in-law, and two wonderful grandsons, aged 9 and 5. We spent the day at an Israel Fair featuring rides, activities, delicious falafel, and even Druze delicacies.

Imagine this… we are standing at the sign-in table, having our names checked off and our bags searched by security. All kinds of families surround us, many of them Israeli American, all in celebratory moods. I certainly am not the only Ema in the group! Upbeat Israeli music can be heard from inside the stadium where the event is being held, reminding us of our resilience and optimism, and inspiring some to sing and dance. The love is palpable.

Just yards away stands a handful of “protesters” yelling at us, calling us baby-killers. Their hate can be felt from across the street, and I wonder how to explain this to my 5-year-old grandson. 

But I didn’t have to figure it out, it had already been taken care of. My grandson, a gan (kindergarten) day school student, just looked at me matter-of-factly and said with a reassuring smile, “Don’t worry, they’re just antisemites!”

Some say that Jewish education has failed to equip the current generation of young people with basic knowledge of Jewish history, to help them appreciate the unique value of our tradition, and, more significantly, they don’t seem equipped to grasp the importance of the land of Israel as an integral, inseparable part of Judaism.

Podcaster Dan Senor recently spoke at the 92nd Street Y, and what he said was at play here. He strongly advocated for Jewish day schools, summer camps, and gap years in Israel as crucial building blocks of a strong Jewish identity and the future of American Jewry. 

On Mother’s Day, his words and my beliefs about this were confirmed – I believe that living a positive Jewish life is the best form of resistance. 

Living a positive Jewish life is the best form of resistance.

Join us at Chai Mitzvah, and become part of our community through small group conversations and POP: the Power Of Passion – Tikkun Olam – for adults, teens, and families. 

Join us and feel the love – Am Yisrael Chai!