The Jewish Mother

“The Jewish Mother” has become an icon in film, fiction and popular culture. On one hand, her image reflects the yearning for lost childhood, family and traditional community. On the other hand, this sense of enchantment and nostalgia is accompanied by a perception of the mother as an intimidating, somewhat demonic figure, who forces her children to grow up and thus banishes them from their childhood. In this talk we will explore few aspects of this emblematic image and try to explain how the mythification of the Jewish mother shaped the Jewish modern sense of community.