This Week’s JewishMOM of the Week: Jerusalem’s Yehudit Levy
JewishMOM.com’s newest feature is “JewishMOM of the Week” in which a JewishMOM.com reader introduces herself to the JewishMOM.com community. This week’s JewishMOM of the week is Jerusalemite Yehudit Levy.
Yehudit's caption for this photo:"Quick, get the camera, there's 4 kids on the couch in a good mood at the same time!"
Where did you grow up? Sydney, Australia.
Where do you live? Beit Israel, Jerusalem. Couldn’t possibly be any further away in distance, weather and lifestyle!!
How old are you? 39
How old are your kids? Well, they come in two camps: Pre-Teshuva, and Post-Teshuva. I thought I was “up to here” with motherhood after three, but Praise Hashem, He had other plans for me.
Pre-Teshuva: Yaacov, 10.5; Tamar, almost 9; Eli, 6.
Post-Teshuva: Nachman, 21 months; Natan, 8 months.
Yehudit's post-teshuva cuties, Nachman and Natan
If you are a WM, what do you do? I’m a graphic designer. I’m not working now, though I worked full time up to my third pregnancy. Until recently I freelanced from home but now I find it impossible. I salute you WFH moms with babies on your laps!!!!!
Outside of mothering, what do you most love to do? I am one of these people that needs alone time to survive and replenish my soul. I’m a typical homebody so I hang around the house during the quiet morning hours, getting my creative fix with little crafty home projects that get me off my feet for a while so that I can actually concentrate on an online shiur… and not the washing/ironing/cooking/cleaning! I also write articles for breslev.co.il whenever I can. I must say that a lot of the time I am alone I talk to Hashem. We do coffee.
What school/university did you attend? Sydney University of Technology (Bachelor of Visual Communications)
How do you define yourself hashkafically? Chassidish, I guess. I am a follower of Rebbe Nachman of Breslev. We are a bit of a club sandwich, really. My husband is of Morrocan descent, I’m Polish; But he wears the shtreimel, and I like to cook with lots of coriander, cumin and garlic 
Are you FFB or Baalat Teshuva? A Baalat Teshuva of almost 4 years.
What’s your favorite part of being a mom? I realized something startling the other day. I’ve been a daughter, sibling, friend, employee and even student longer than I’ve been a mother!!! So my favourite part of being a mom is definitely those “mom” defining moments: the first time a child says “mummy”, the scraped knees/sore tummys/sick feelings that only mummy can fix, the smile of a child running into my arms after nursery school, my daughter proudly taking my hand at her end-of-year concert….these are the moments that manage to lift me out of my “self” and propel me into motherhood.
What’s the toughest part, for you, of being a mom? This is a tough question, there are many answers. Mostly, I think it’s the constant feeling that, no matter what, I can never, ever, ever, give each of my children enough love, attention, fun, time, smiles, laughter ….. (sigh).
What’s the best advice for moms you’ve ever received?Rabbi Nachman says that no matter what happens, just BEGIN AGAIN. He was not specifically talking about motherhood, but it certainly applies also to us mums. So on those crazy mornings or afternoons where everything goes wrong and I’m falling apart and the kids are tearing at each other: I try to remember his simple maxim, breathe, and start again. In modern parenting books this might be called the “erase” method: but I’m sticking with the Tzaddik!
How did you hear about JewishMOM.com? A friend in America raved about it and used to send me snippets here and there to read, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Around the world and back again!
How long have you been reading JewishMOM.com? Only a few months! And it’s the only blog for women I have ever read continuously.
What’s your favorite part of JewishMOM.com? What I most enjoy is your honesty, your enthusiasm, and your simple desire to share. These qualities really shine throughout all your posts and videos.
If you would like to volunteer to be a JewishMOM of the week, please send me a family photo and a short paragraph about yourself to jenny18@zahav.net.il
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kol hakavod- yehudit!!! I love the Begin Again-or fresh start- especially to kill those guilt trips the morning after a horrible bedtime experience of bribery gone bad and threats gone unrendered, and that helpless – “Im a failure-they won”- feeling…so we sing it loud and proud- “ma she-haya haya…”- whatever happened is in the past and now we start from the beginning-Rabbi Nachmans teachings are definitely the cure to a mothers guilt or lack of happiness in her daily grind. Thanks for sharing and for continuing to inspire.
Thank you Yehudit for the inspiration. Chana, I am really enjoying this new feature to your blog!