Shabbat shalom! A tip of the kippah to the new Pope, and a special tip of the kippah to all the Mom’s out there, as we recognize their amazing contributions to our lives, our families, and our culture. In a world increasingly scarred by conflict, division, and the callous inhuman policies of a certain orange man, Mother’s Day might seem like a quaint, even frivolous tradition—a sentimental pause in an otherwise brutal and incessant news cycle. With wars flaring up between India and Pakistan, the unrelenting tragedy unfolding between Israel and Hamas, and the cruel treatment of immigrants and asylum seekers in the United States, what place is there for flowers, cards, and breakfast in bed?
My answer: Now more than ever.
Mother’s Day is not merely about bouquets or brunch reservations or planting gardens. It’s about honoring the most foundational relationship that exists in human society—the bond between mother and child. At its best, it celebrates care, resilience, and unconditional love. And in a time when global headlines are dominated by suffering, violence, and political cruelty, the values we associate with motherhood—empathy, protection, nurturing—are not luxuries…..they are necessities. And while no holiday will stop a war or reform a broken immigration system, Mother’s Day can help us remember why those things must be done.
In Israel, there is no longer a separate holiday for Moms. Israel celebrates a holiday that honors mothers, but it has evolved over time into a broader celebration known as Family Day (Yom HaMishpacha). Originally, Israel observed Mother’s Day (Yom HaEm) on the 30th of Shevat in the Hebrew calendar, which typically falls between late January and early March. This date was chosen to commemorate the passing of Henrietta Szold, a prominent Jewish leader and founder of the Hadassah organization, who was regarded as a mother figure for her efforts in rescuing Jewish children during the Holocaust .
In the 1990s, reflecting changes in societal norms and family structures, the Israeli Ministry of Education redefined Mother’s Day as Family Day. This shift aimed to acknowledge the diverse forms of modern families, including single-parent households and same-sex couples, and to promote equality among all family members .
Today, Family Day in Israel is celebrated primarily in educational settings, where children create cards and gifts to honor their family members. While it may not have the commercial prominence of Mother’s Day in other countries, it serves as a meaningful occasion to appreciate the roles and contributions of all family members. I think I like the US version better than the watered down Israeli version, but let’s move on to the usual round up of news for the Jews from Israel and around the world.
- Jewish Leaders Open Letter in NYT calls out Trump threats to Democracy – More than three dozen former leaders of major Jewish organizations published an open letter advertisement in The New York Times rebuking current leadership for being “far too silent about the stunning assault on democratic norms.”Although they did not name President Donald Trump in the letter published Thursday, the signatories — which included directors and former chairs of the Anti-Defamation League, American Jewish Committee, Hillel International, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and major federations — decried his administration’s approach to fighting antisemitism.“A range of actors are using a purported concern about Jewish safety as a cudgel,” they wrote. “We call on Jewish leaders and institutions — national and local — to resist the exploitation of Jewish fears.”
- Plus…
- Trump pulled his nomination for Ed Martin, a controversial figure who praised a well-known Nazi sympathizer, to serve as U.S. Attorney for D.C. — then swiftly announced that Martin would instead direct a group investigating “the Weaponization of our Government under the Biden Regime” at the Department of Justice. (Forward, X)
- Also in controversial Trump nominees: His new pick for surgeon general, Casey Means — a Stanford Medical School graduate who never finished residency and practices alternative medicine — blames the Nazis for pesticides used in U.S. food production. Does she have a point? (Forward)
- And, part three: Among Trump’s nominees to the board of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum — after he broke precedent to fire numerous Biden appointees last week — is Siggy Flicker, an Israeli-American who starred in The Real Housewives of New Jersey and whose stepson pleaded guilty to charges related to his involvement in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. Flicker appeared to endorse her stepson’s actions in a social media post at the time. (Washington Post)
- More on Israel…
- In advance of Trump’s Middle East visit next week, his administration has dropped a demand that Saudi Arabia normalize relations with Israel as part of negotiations over a deal that would let Saudi Arabia develop commercial nuclear power with U.S. technology. (Times of Israel)
- Trump is also putting pressure on Israel to reach a hostages-for-ceasefire deal with Hamas before his trip. (Haaretz)
- A new documentary claims to have identified the Israeli soldier who killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh in the West Bank in 2022; the soldier named was killed in combat last summer. (Guardian)
- U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said that Trump has ordered humanitarian aid to be distributed in Gaza as quickly as possible; separately, the administration is pushing international humanitarian groups to sign on to Israel’s new plan to resume aid distribution in Gaza. Israel has blockaded aid from entering the strip since March; its plan would only provide food for about 60% of the current population of Gaza. (Haaretz; Times of Israel, times two)
- The Israeli military extended the detention of a Palestinian journalist from the West Bank, despite acknowledging it lacked “sufficient evidence” to back the allegations of terrorism funding that it has made against him. (CNN)
- Israel closed three schools for Palestinian children run by UNRWA — the United Nations agency that serves Palestinian refugees, which Israel recently banned — in East Jerusalem. (BBC)
- ✝️ Robert Prevost, newly elected as Pope Leo XIV, had an expert in Jewish-Catholic relations — and former board member of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum — as a teacher while studying at a Chicago seminary. And Israeli leaders greeted Prevost’s election with warm wishes; “I wish the first Pope from the United States success in fostering hope and reconciliation among all faiths,” said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. (JTA, Times of Israel)
- 😨 Nine people who celebrated Adolf Hitler’s birthday with a swastika-adorned cake in a British pub last month were arrested. Meanwhile, Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, debuted a music video for a song called “Heil Hitler,” which features a lengthy sample of a speech by Hitler. (BBC, JTA)
- 📰 Columbia University suspended four student journalists who covered the Wednesday library protest; one suspension has been lifted. (Columbia Daily Spectator)
- 😥 A Jewish jeweler in Tunisia was attacked with an axe on the island of Djerba, the site of Africa’s oldest synagogue, which will welcome thousands of pilgrims next week for the holiday of Lag B’Omer — a celebration at which five were killed in a shooting two years ago. The 50-year-old victim is expected to be released from the hospital on Friday. (Associated Press)
- 👀 Amid escalating conflict with Pakistan over the contested region of Kashmir, an Indian political party announced that India’s forces had killed a Pakistani terrorist involved in the kidnapping and beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002. (Jerusalem Post)
That’s all for the week! Enjoy the rest of the weekend! And to all you Moms out there, have a great day, and stay safe everyone.
Brad out.
Jew News Review 