MOTHER page 1
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ways is on a Sunday).
Seeking support for her project,
Anna Jarvis began a letter-writ-
ing campaign to mayors, news-
paper editors, business leaders
and ministers. After securing
Senate approval, the day got the
OK from President Woodrow
Wilson, who on May 8, 1914, of-
ficially proclaimed the second
Sunday each May as Mother's
Day.
Greeting cards overdosing on
the word "special" and fattening
chocolates aside, many local lead-
ers say they welcome Mother's
Day as a way to honor the wom-
en who profoundly shaped their
characters.
"My mother was a wonderful
role model," said Sharon Hart,
Federation activist and first vice
president of Adat Shalom
Synagogue. "She taught me to be-
lieve in myself and to feel good
about myself as a Jewish wom-
an."
Mrs. Hart's mother, Anne
Ginsberg, provided "enormous
love and support" to her children,
giving them the self-confidence
and drive to become leaders in
the Jewish community.
"She also was a lady, and
taught me that everything you do
reflects back on the family," Mrs.
Hart said.
That sense of responsibility
was passed on not only to her chil-
dren but her grandchildren,
two of whom are in college and
"never forget to give (Mrs.
Ginsberg) a call once they get
back in town."
Mrs. Ginsberg continues to be
her children's greatest advocate.
"Both she and my father come to
every event I chair, and they
went to all the grandchildren's
plays," Mrs. Hart said.
Eva Shapiro, Temple Israel ad-
ministrator, said she learned
from her mother two vital lessons:
First, there's little value to ma-
terial possessions, and second, "as
a woman, I could pursue any pro-
fessional career that I wanted."
Mrs. Shapiro's mother, Clara,
was born in Hungary and, as a
teen, survived the Holocaust.
"She's extremely bright, artis-
tic, musical" and fluent in sever-
al languages. When in 1962 she
came to the United States, she
quickly found employment —
then rose to a leadership position
at the company — working with
IBM computers.
She lives today in New York
and continues to be active in the
Jewish community.
Shirley Tolwin, mother of
Aleynu/Aish HaTorah's Rabbi
Alon Tolwin, also was hardly typ-
ical of the women of her day (that
dear lady whose main goal in life
was to make a tasty meat loaf).
Shirley Tolwin was a spy.
At 19, she began working as a
journalist, first with theBoston
Globe, then as a correspondent,
stationed in Palestine, for the
Reuters News Agency. Because
of her press credentials, she had
easy access to the British
Embassy there.
Among Shirley's discoveries at
the embassy was the schedule for
British troops working through-
out the area. She was able to pro-
vide the Haganah with this
information — which allowed the
Jewish underground to schedule
the arrival of shiploads of Jews
escaping from Nazi Germany.
(The British had strict regula-
tions regarding the number of
Jews permitted into Palestine.)
"She was an idealist," Rabbi
Tolwin said of his mother.
"Zionism, Israel and the Jewish
people were her life."
Mrs. Tolwin always hoped to
have six children — one for each
of the Six Million. She had five,
but all continue her commitment
to Israel.
`Two are living there now, and
the other three are planning to
move there," Rabbi Tolwin said.
A key lesson his mother taught
him, Rabbi Tolwin said, is, "If you
believe in something, make it
happen."
Rabbi Amy Brodsky of Temple
Emanu-El described her mother,
Carol Bigman, as "one of my best
friends and closest confidantes."
Both her mother and father
were "very supportive in every
way" with her jewish education
— "from sending me to religious
school to the holidays and help-
ing me get through five years of
rabbinic school— both financial-
ly and emotionally."
Now retired, her mother lives
in Florida but continues to be
close to Rabbi Brodsky, as well as
her other children.
"She's always just a phone call
away," Rabbi Brodsky said.
David Techner, funeral direc-
tor at the Ira Kaufman Memorial
Chapel, said his mother is a
woman dedicated to her family
who encouraged her three sons,
"in a non judgmental way, to be
our own people."
Miriam "Mimi" Techner is a
"stickler for detail," a giving per-
son, and known throughout
Detroit as an outstanding baker,
her son said. "She has given her
children not only love but love
handles."
One of his mother's favorite
projects is making cookies for her
grandchildren's b'nai mitzvah cel-
ebrations. (She'll even send guests
home with goody bags filled with
the treats). Of course she doesn't
eat them herself — she's too busy
exercising at the Jewish
Community Center. "She lives
there," Mr. Techner said.
Mimi Techner's life is centered
on family, but she has her own
identity well intact, too.
"People hear her name and
say, 'Are you David Techner's
mother?'
"She'll tell them,
son."'
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