I pegged this issue “The Unforgettable Mom.” Had a nice ring to it, I thought, and have indeed turned the spotlight on some obviously memorable women. If you haven’t been to StacyKnows.com, you will soon be taking all kinds of shopping and living advice from the incomparable Stacy Geisinger! Know I do! A special remembrance of Chappaqua’s Dawn Re is also a page you won’t want to miss. While I didn’t have the privilege of knowing Dawn, I am honored to include Laurie Fessler’s words about “Loving Dawn” in this issue. And of course, the beautiful, art for a cause by Susan Schrott–and writer Lori Sachare’s accompanying story–touched me deeply too. Plus, much more…speech language pathologist Isa Marrs and exotic pets vet Dr. Laurie Hess are two more remarkable women profiled in this issue.
Truthfully, in retrospect, I think the phrase “The Unforgettable Mom” is a bit misleading. I don’t think I have ever met a mom, or any person at all really, whom I’d call “forgettable.” I know as a journalist and publisher that there’s a “story to tell” in each of us. A new friend and Rabbi-in-training recently reminded me that we’re each a world within this world. Count on a future Rabbi to weigh in with a simple truth. The life experiences that each one of us contributes to the lives we intersect, for better or for worse, is truly what’s unforgettable.
The people and stories behind any business, advertising driven or not!, can be as interesting as any that come my way. In this issue, local camp owners proudly share the unique aspects of their camps, in case you are still pondering your child’s summer. A feature that follows on the Wagon Road Camp demystifies a vibrant backyard camp too.
I was also thoroughly delighted by fellow mom biz owners who described so positively the impact of being a parent in their daily business lives.
So Happy Mother’s Day to y’all, and to me too, this year! Here’s to no one ever describing you or me as “forgettable.”
P.S. May 1 in White Plains: A Yom Hashoah Remembrance
I also included a story by Rich Monetti, about the Human Rights Institute, a program of the Holocaust and Human Rights Education Center. I am a member of its advisory board and, as many of you know by now, a child of Holocaust survivors. The HHREC provides free programming to shape tomorrow’s leaders and to serve educators in the area of human rights in a host of phenomenal ways. A great way to support the center and its mission is simply to attend its annual Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day) Commemoration that will be held from 2-3:30 p.m on Sunday, May 1 at Congregation Kol Ami (252 Soundview Avenue) in White Plains.
The program is organized annually by the HHREC and is co-sponsored by the Westchester Jewish Council and Congregation Kol Ami. The event is free and open to the public. After the ceremony, guests will be invited to visit The Garden of Remembrance, located in front of the Michaelian Office Building at 148 Martine Avenue in White Plains.
The Garden was created by HHREC.
“It’s now 66 years since World War II ended, ” said Donna Cohen, executive director of HHREC. “With each passing year, there are fewer Holocaust survivors to tell the world first-hand about what they saw and about the dangers of bigotry. As time marches on, these stories become more and more vital to the history of the Jewish people–and serve as a constant reminder to the world about the critical importance of respect for human rights everywhere.” For more info, visit hhrecny.org.
