I don’t know Yiddish, so I had to look this one up. I found out it means “mother-in-law.” It sounds like a very harsh word, and I’m sure it’s been used that way quite often, especially among people who make mother-in-law jokes. Maybe some people have a contentious relationship with their mother-in-law, but the truth is, I couldn’t have asked for a better one. I don’t call her shvigger, I call her Eema.
She is not only my mother-in-law, but also, the first Jewish mother I’ve ever known, so I’m a convert. Yes, it’s different from having a non-Jewish mother, but in a wonderful way. When I first started on my conversion journey, Eema lovingly welcomed me into her home for Shabbat. When I didn’t know a thing about planning my wedding, she took the reins and put so much love into all the details of my special day. She was there when I gave birth to her first grandchild, a beautiful girl named Sophia. I can always count on her to send us beautiful dresses from Scotland, her homeland, for our two daughters, and to make the best chicken soup in the world.
I only hope I live up to my duties as her daughter-in-law, or, as I guess in Yiddish you’d say, “shnur.” Hey, mine doesn’t sound that great either at least.
