a mother of all sons
In 1925 two things happened that forever changed the destiny of Western world Jewry: Adolph Hitler published the first volume of his “Main Kampf” and Willie Howard recorded the first version of “A yiddishe mame”, written by Lew Pollack and Jack Yelen. The same year that prepared a ground for unspeakable suffering, gave the Jews the melody that would sustain and guide them as a… well, a mother, a Jewish mother.
While one human being conceived a work of utmost hatred, two others, across the ocean and almost simultaneously, created a timeless masterpiece of unconditional love, self-sacrifice and wistful tenderness. And while today “Main Kampf” is banned in many countries, “A yiddishe mame” has been translated in many languages, from Hungarian to Finnish and sung by the best of the best, Jews and non-Jews alike: Barry sisters, Charles Aznavour, Tom Jones and Billie Holliday.
And what is truly amazing about this song, is that while the way the society paints a Jewish mother has changed radically, the love and tenderness that the song incites in us, has not budged. A hundred years ago a Jewish mother was a symbol of love and protection, a symbol of utter devotion and tender care. In a world of the poor emigrants, huddling in their poor tenements, facing the insecurities of a foreign country, foreign language, foreign customs and ways, amongst which they now had to build their new unknown lives; the painful memories of the pogroms and persecutions in their native lands that pushed them in unstoppable tide westward, and yet the dear reminiscences of the sweet childhood and youth days, the image of the Jewish mother was all that and beyond: a symbol of courage, devotion and comfort, everything one left behind and everything one hoped to find again against all odds.
Then the miracle of the American dream happened for most of the Jews, they learned English, they got education, they made their careers, bought their homes, built their families and for a long time forgot about antisemitism. And in this comfortable world of manicured lawns and two cars garages a Jewish mother became too much: overprotective, overcontrolling, smothering with her love, messing up her children’s lives with her warm jackets and chicken soups. The perception of a Jewish mother has changed with years, but the effect that the song about her produces on us hasn’t. We still long for that sense of warmth and security that her presence gives us. And who knows, depending on a historical and economical context, the idea of a Jewish mother can change again sometime in a future, but until then we have this song, to remind us how great it feels “ven di mame is du”, when our mother is there for us. And yes, with the warm jacket and a chicken soup.
Here you can listen to our rendition of ‘A Yiddishe Mame’: