This post was originally shared on Mother’s Day, 2014
In celebration of Mother’s Day, I want to take us back in time to the 1920s as the Russian born American performer, Sophie Tucker, was making the song Yiddishe Momme famous. You can hear Ms. Tucker sing this song, which was written by Jack Yellen and Lew Pollack here:
While others sang Yiddishe Momme, Ms. Tucker made the song a Top 5 USA hit in 1928. Her recording was released on a gramophone record that had the song in English on the first side and in Yiddish on the flip side.
Yiddishe Momme reminds us of a time gone by, a time of immigrants and tenements, a time when Yiddish was spoken in Jewish homes, a time that was simpler yet so much more difficult. On a deeper level, the lyrics of the song are timeless, encouraging us to remember, appreciate and celebrate the women who put up with us and worked hard to get us where we are. For many of us, our mothers do/did not fit the physical description of the Yiddishe Momme that Ms. Tucker sings about. Most of our mothers are fortunate enough to live much more comfortably than the Yiddishe Momme. However, most of us are lucky enough to have a Yiddishe Momme, a woman to whom we owe what we are today.
Take the time to celebrate and thank and in many cases remember your mother this Sunday. Happy Mother’s Day!
