2019-03-28
Lecturing woman
Shutterstock.com

Jewish mothers really get a bad wrap. They are seen as being overbearing naggers who complain their kids don't call and are always pushing their daughters to get married to a doctor or to a lawyer, who of course needs to be Jewish. She is often assumed to be wearing thick gold jewelry, having a raspy voice and having a New York or Florida address. Jewish mothers in the 21st century are still making an impact on their children as they did before and we joke about them today. You can discover cracks regarding their antics on T-shirts, Instagram and in films. There's a saying: "I can't be calm I have a Jewish mother" and perhaps they're right, and although these stereotypes can be ridiculous and funny, all mothers can be tyrannical, and overbearing. But we still can appreciate the levity of unsolicited advice from our Jewish mothers.

'You're dating him too long.'

One mother sent her daughter a text telling her that Bloomingdales was open and she's dating the same guy for too long. "You're not getting any younger and I want grandchildren." Also, she chimed in about the upcoming wedding and offered: "You better fight for the bouquet."

'Are you eating enough?'

Jewish mothers feed their children constantly and if you refuse, it's an insult. And if you're out to dinner somewhere else, she will say something like "The food isn’t as good as mine, right?" You better give her the answer she wants to hear, okay?

'Look at my daughter.'

Since social media is the easiest way to introduce people to each other, some moms are taking advantage of this by sharing their daughter's Facebook picture with prospective buyers.
If there’s a future companion in the mix, look out. A mother showed her daughter's picture to doctors doing their residency at a hospital and shared the news via text. The daughter replied: "OMG stop giving strangers my number." The mother responsible calls herself the "Crazy Jewish Mom" and she defends her overbearing actions. "I find the neuroses amusing, and I know it all comes from a place of love. I think it's hilarious, and it does not bother me at all. Even the most outrageous stuff comes from a place of love and with humor."

'Marry someone Jewish.'

Jewish parents want a marriage regardless of the gender. Keeping the religion alive and "Raising children that way is much more important than marrying someone of the opposite gender," Odessey reported. "Marry someone Jewish, gender doesn’t matter," a mother told her single son. Remember nobody loves you like momma.

'You're going to love your Hanukkah present.'

Not so fast, this momma is not in the mood for gifts this year. "I think you're going to love your Hanukkah present this year," a daughter texted. "Is it a grandchild or a facelift?" "No," the daughter answered. "Well, save your money," the mother replied. The next time she texted her mom about a gift for her father. Her mother asked again: "Is it a grandchild? Just kidding, we lowered our expectations."

'All mothers are Jewish.'

Once at a dinner party, famed author Isaac Asimov said he listened to a guy from India telling funny stories about his mother.
He listened with interest and finally, he could no longer resist. "I asked in mock amazement, 'Is your mother Jewish?'" He looked at Asimov calmly and said, "My friend, all mothers are Jewish." Asimov's mother believed that "All mothers should be Jewish" maybe she was right.

'You are going to leave me.'

As much as Jewish moms want their kids out of the house, a part of them doesn't want to let them go. The show "The Big Bang Theory" offered some insight on what happens as son Howard Wolowitz is ready to leave the nest after marrying Bernadette. Mrs. Wolowitz: "Your wife says you have something important to tell me." Howard explains: "Bernadette and I are starting a life together." His mom responded: "Oh, god! You're gonna leave me! It's okay. Your father left me, you left me. I guess I'm just the kind of person people like to leave!" Guilt is a powerful tool for Jewish mothers to get what they want and it's an effective weapon often used.

'Buttoning up.'

If there is a chance it will be nippy outside be assured you will be nagged about "Buttoning up." A Jewish mom will make sure you're toasty no matter what age you are. To this day you never leave the house without a sweater. She will never say "Don't bother wearing a jacket – it's quite warm out" either. Another word of advice is to not show too much skin as this will lead to more unwanted opinions and how much you need to avoid looking like a streetwalker because "You can't meet a nice Jewish boy looking like that."

'Surrender the laundry.'

Elite Daily gave great advice on picking your battles regarding the laundry. Just surrender the piles over. "She wants to do it and she'll keep bothering you about it until she gets that shirt white again." Don't bother doing it yourself because she will just wash it again or will watch how you do it incorrectly.

All moms nag and want the best for their kids and if being overbearing works for them so be it. One can't deny the route that they take to get what they want is hilarious. So button up, eat well, allow them to do your laundry and permit them to set you up on blind dates because you will never shake the power that a Jewish mother has over you.
more from beliefnet and our partners
Close Ad