The First Ever JewishMOM.com Book of the Month

I told you a few weeks back that I have decided to take an extended JewishMOM vacation. Meaning that for the next while I will be taking a break from writing articles for publication and creating videos (but I DO PLAN to continue these weekly blog updates and Mommy Peptalks). So for the last few months my main non-mothering project has been reading, reading, and reading. It is THE ABSOLUTE FUNNEST!

As a result of all this reading, I’ve decided to introduce a new feature to this blog-

The JewishMOM.com Book of the Month!

This week’s featured book is: Woman to Woman: Practical Advice and Classic Stories on Life’s Goals and Aspirations by Rebbetzin Esther Greenberg (Artscroll). And here’s why…

This past week a friend stopped by who just had her first baby. What a CUTIE! A few years back, this friend became religious, married a wonderful guy, and gave up her dream (not to mention her parent’s dream) that she would attend a top law school, and grow up to become a partner in a big law firm just like her dear old dad.

Instead, my friend decided that her primary goal in life should be to be the best possible wife and mother and Jewish woman she can be, and that any career she chooses must enable her to spend enough time at home in order to pursue those primary goals.

But this was a tough decision to make, and it has been a tough decision to stick with. Her parents are extremely disappointed in her, convinced that their brilliant daughter is wasting her life and potential. And, more importantly, the lingering internal voices from decades of careerist brainwashing haunt her as she nurses her baby, and changes his diaper, and boils spaghetti for dinner so there will be something to eat when her husband walks in the door at 7 PM.

“What am I doing? Maybe I AM wasting my life? Maybe I really am wasting my potential? Maybe my parents are right?” she asks herself.

And haven’t we all asked ourselves these questions at one point or another? Why did I spend so many years and 100s of 1000s of dollars in order to earn my PhD in Philosophy or my MSW from University of Michigan or my BA Magna Cum Laude in Engineering and Far Eastern Religions in order to trade all of it in for a lowly MRS. My career is chugging along and puffing Carbon Monoxide into the atmosphere in the slow lane, or (yikes!!) stalled and abandoned on the side of the road altogether, and FOR WHAT?

What contribution am I really making as Jewish wife and mother? Maybe my parents and the voices are right? Maybe I really am wasting my life on these children, on these diapers, on all these boiling pots of pasta?

For those of us who have ever had these thoughts, Woman to Woman is a book to read and read again until its words and uplifting messages flow through our veins and silence our lingering brainwashed doubts with clarity and JewishMOM Truth.

Written by the daughter and granddaughter of great rabbis, Rebbetzin Greenberg’s voice is so important to hear and savor and memorize because Rebbetzin Greenberg was never brainwashed like you and me. She speaks again and again about the importance of being the best wife, the best mother, the best Jewish woman possible, and explains how these are our most important ways to serve G-d and to fulfill our ultimate purpose and mission in life.

Let’s end with a scrumptious taste of Woman to Woman:

“Our Sages tell us that after 120 years the walls of our houses will appear before the Heavenly Throne and the Heavenly Court, and they will bear witness to what was said and done in our homes. So let us make our walls sing with joy, contentment, and happiness. The impression will last forever.

Everyone in the world strives for immortality. We all want to be remembered forever. We find very great artists, sculptors, composers, authors, who want to create a masterpiece that will insure that they will be remembered always. They want their work to be so wonderful that a thousand years from now it will be worth millions and millions and people will say, “He made that, he painted that picture, he wrote that book.” A person is prepared to invest years and years of hard work into his masterpiece solely because he wants to be remembered.

Each of you, whether you realize it or not, is creating your own masterpiece. You are working on your life’s work: building a home. It is your eternity, the creation of a lifetime.

If you think of your home as a masterpiece, as the work of a lifetime, then how much are you prepared to invest in such a creation?! Work at creating happiness around you, work at creating your home. It is the most wonderful creation there is. It is yours.

Wow! Isn’t she amazing??

Here’s 2 other JewishMOM books I’ve LOVED recently…

Listen to Your Messages by Rabbi Yissochar Frand – I am slowly but surely becoming a Rabbi Frand Addict. Very inspiring and very captivating essays sprinkled with such amazing stories. Provides a great injection of clarity in your mothering day.

Motherstyles: Using Personality Type to Discover your Parenting Strengths by Janet P. Penley – Learn your mothering style in order to make the most of your mothering strengths and how to best cope with and overcome your weaknesses.

On a side note, I just heard about these cool new parsha sheets targeted at 2-4 year olds, and they are supposed to be fantastic! I haven’t seen them, but you can check them out here… www.torat-imecha.com

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