Famous Jews Talk Mom In Six Words

Rachel Sklar Image by Getty Images

By Anne Cohen May 9, 2013

James Deen Image by Getty Images

Ever wonder what Jewish porn star James Deen thinks of his mother?

In collaboration with Larry Smith, founder of SMITH Magazine and the “Six-Word Memoir” project, the Forward asked some Tribe notables to give their six-word take on the woman who pushed them out into the world — literally and figuratively.

Below are their words of love to celebrate the walking, talking stereotype that is the Jewish Mother.

My mom is really, really awesome
— James Deen, 27, porn star, Los Angeles, about his mother.

Of course brisket travels by plane!
— Austin Ratner, 41, author of “In the Land of the Living, Brooklyn, about Susan Ratner.

Tovah Feldshuh Image by Getty Images

Men: no piercings, no facial hair
— Tovah Feldshuh, actress, singer and playwright, New York, about Lillian Kaplan Feldshuh, 102.

Pioneer, changing Jewish community, building family.
— Ruth Messinger, 72, president of American Jewish World Service, New York, about Marjorie Wyler.

Courageous, gutsy, survivor, tenacious, protective, proud.
— Abraham Foxman, 73, national director of the Anti-Defamation League, Bergen County, N.J., about Helen Foxman.

Grandma was a communist — we hit Marshalls.
— Mark Oppenheimer, 38, religion columnist for The New York Times, New Haven, Conn., about Rebekah Kirschner.

Rachel Sklar Image by Getty Images

Just discovered Skype. It’s a mitzvah.
— Rachel Sklar, 40, founder of Change and the Ratio and TheLi.st, New York, about Corinne Sklar.

Mom was leaning in before Sandberg.
— Abigail Pogrebin, 47, author of “Stars of David: Prominent Jews Talk about Being Jewish,” New York, about Letty Cottin Pogrebin, co-founder of Ms. Magazine.

Anne Cohen was the Forward’s deputy digital media editor. When she’s not looking for the secret Jewish history of Voodoo in New Orleans, or making lists about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, she writes for The Assimilator. She graduated from the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism with an M.S. magazine concentration in 2012.

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