Mother of Charities
Reading the biography of Frances Wisebart Jacobs leaves little doubt that she well-deserved the title of “Denver’s Mother of Charities.” Over the three decades that she lived in Denver,…
The Mother of Women’s Basketball
Did you know that the mother of women’s basketball was Jewish? Senda Berenson revolutionized women’s athletics. Ironically, Berenson,* who was born on March 19, 1868, in Vilna, was a…
My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies
Did you grow up with the planetary mnemonic “My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pies”? Of course, since 2006, when Pluto was removed from the roster of planets, the mnemonic has…
Mother of Alchemy
While we of the modern world scoff at the ancient alchemists who tried to turn lead into gold, many alchemical practices are at the root of today’s scientific experiments. Ironically, the…
The Mother of Women’s Basketball
As today is International Women’s Day, Jewish Treats highlights some of the many accomplishments of Senda Berenson, the mother of women’s basketball, who revolutionized women’s athletics.…
Barbie’s Jewish Mother
One might easily wonder what Ruth Handler's reaction would have been to the recently released Barbies of various size. Having finally responded in 1997 to criticism about the original…
Mother Rachel
The patriarch Jacob had four wives (all at the same time): Leah and Rachel and their handmaidens Bilha and Zilpah. Rachel, however, was the wife that Jacob truly loved. But while Rachel…
The Mother of Modern Swimming
In 1920, at age 35, Charlotte Epstein was not a contender for an Olympic medal in Antwerp, but she was, in many ways, the hero of women’s swimming. Born in 1884 in New York City, "Eppy,"…
Mother Rachel
The patriarch Jacob had four wives (all at the same time): Leah and Rachel and their handmaidens Bilha and Zilpah. Rachel, however, was the wife that Jacob truly loved. But while Rachel…
Mother Sarah
Sarah was 90 years old when her son Isaac was born. He was the answer to all her prayers, for she now knew for certain that the great work that she and Abraham had been doing would be…