Vote for the Shavuos Nachas Contest Winner!
Thank you to all you JewishMOMs who submitted so many wonderful stories for the Shavuos Nachas Contest. Now’s the fun part: vote below for your favorite Nachas story semifinalist. The winner will receive a copy of my book One Baby Step at a Time: 7 Secrets of Jewish Motherhood. I am SO loving this contest… The only problem with it is that I’m not sure how I’m ever going to come up with another contest that I love as much as this one:)
1. The Star of the Scottish Seder
Here in Scotland, our Chabad house is spiritual home to around 7000 Jews and tourists. As I checked 500 pieces of lettuce, boiled 100 eggs, and filled six freezers for the communal seder, my mind wandered. I wondered whether I would be able to properly focus on retelling the story of the Exodus to my three children, long-awaited Avraham, 4, Perel, 2 and baby Devorah. Fast forward to seder when my son Avraham, sister at his side, proudly climbs upon the stage and loudly, enthusiastically, recites the Mah Nishtana with translation. Tears flow, hushed conversations abound. Avraham leads the crowd in songs, and excitedly tells them about his search for Chametz the previous evening. He makes sure no one is left out, and that they have everything they need. Like father, like son. What priceless nachas. I am so proud of him.
2. Baalat Teshuva’s Children Pray for Grandmother
My grandmother ‘s death was imminent. My children said Tehillim (Psalms) over the phone, heard by all in my grandmother’s Sydney hospital room. My mum, choked with tears, whispered how beautiful it was. Booba miraculously survived the night. Then lived for another MONTH. My non-religious family swears that extra month was thanks to my children’s Tehillim. My Teshuva kids, who read Tehillim as easily as I used to read Tintin.
3. Bone Marrow to a Stranger
I have had many moments of nachas from my 4 children, from being spelling bee winners, to returning found money at school. But the most recent moment of nachas came on February 15, 2011. My 22-year-old son Michael was a bone marrow match and went through a donation of Stem cells. It started a few years ago when he went for a swab through the Gift of Life Foundation that was looking for a match for a young boy. Although Michael was not a match for the little boy, he was a match for a 54-year-old woman with leukemia. It was a week long process from starting with the prep shots to the 2 day recovery afterwards. My heart is full!
4. 6-year-old’s Dream Bride
I was trying to explain to my 6-year-old, Raphael, the difference between an Abba and a husband (I call my husband Abba in front of the kids) and I told him that when he grows up he will get married too.
The conversation went something like this:
Raphael: “Oh, so I can marry Savta (grandma) when I’m big!”
Me: “No, Savta already has Saba (grandpa). Ima already has Abba. Tanta Miriam already has Uncle Chanan.”
Raphael: “Oh… well then I want to marry Rachel Imeinu, she’s a tzadekkes.”
Me: “What a great choice! But she’s already in Heaven.”
Raphael: “OK, so I’ll marry her when Moshiach comes.”
Me: “And what if you get married before Moshiach comes?”
Raphael: “Then I’ll marry my friend Goldie. she also has good middos.”
I was schepping nachas from the complete and wonderful purity and holiness of a 6-year-old boy.
[polldaddy poll=5116397]
What a terribly difficult choice!!!
I have an idea for another contest: BEST BIRTH STORY!
I don’t dare suggest BEST CHICKEN SOUP RECIPE ….
🙂
I like that idea…Any more contest ideas, yehudit?
How about:
Your Biggest Miracle Ever Contest?
A Kiddush Hashem!
what a difficult choice. may all our kids continue to supply us with nachas stories! another choice for a contest, How I won the battle with the yetzer hara!
Such hard choices!! Beautiful stories!!
I’ve been thinking about this over yom tov and I realised that the moments of greatest nachas from my children for me have generally been seeming small things, when I can actually see them becoming a mensch before my eyes. Will be posting about it on my blog soon.
sounds like a nice article, please post the link when it’s posted:)