Jerusalem – Do you, too, always forget to call your bubbe? Do you find yourself ridden with intense guilt when your bubbe calls you instead, stating in the flat tone reserved for the passive-aggressiveness only good, Jewish grandmothers can muster that she was awaiting news from you to no avail?
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A new app promises to absolve you of the shame and help keep grandma on your mind. Well, not really, but an hilarious video that has recently surfaced on social media will certainly bring family ties to the forefront of your mind.
In the video, that has gone viral and won the hearts of hundreds of guilty, Jewish grandchildren, an octogenarian sits in front of the camera and says in a perfect Yiddish accent: “Hello everyone, my name is Judith Cohen. I’m the creator of this new app ‘Would it kill you to call?'”
“After all that we’ve done, what return do we get?” bubbe Judith can be seen lamenting in true Yiddish grandma fashion, before exclaiming that “that’s why every bubbe needs, needs my new app.”
Savta Judith goes on to explain that her app automatically sends a text message to grandchildren who failed to make the weekly call, guilting them into reaching out: “So you took my bar mitzvah money but now I’m useless to you?” bubbe Judith hilariously tugs at the heartstringers of viewers. “It’s that easy. With ‘Would it kill you to call’ you’ll always be hearing from your loved ones,” she promises. “Ask someone to put it on your phone today,” she quips.
But when multiple social media users who fell in love with bubbe Judith and her snide remarks tried to find out how the application could be downloaded, they discovered that it doesn’t exist. The funny video was in fact an ad urging viewers to donate money to American Friends of The Hebrew, an organization supporting Jerusalem’s Hebrew University. “Bubbe may not have the most advanced tech,” a card reads at the end of the video, “but the Hebrew University does,” it continues, encouraging those who enjoyed the video to contribute to the capital’s academic tech hub.
So if you watched the video in its entirety and feel a little duped, think of it as a good reminder- pick up the phone and call your bubbe today.
This is hysterical! But sadly, true. One of my kids goes weeks without calling me. My grandchildren? NEVER. One of my grandchildren goes to Seminary here in Israel & I never hear from her… unless she wants something. She doesn’t call me back when I call. I want to know how I can send it to my children (my granddaughter only has a kosher phone so that won’t work.)
Seriously though…one day, you will be old and alone. The line that says “would it kill you to call” is very true. At our age we live to hear from the family, even narishkeit, it makes us feel as if we are important and still matter. We may be old fashioned, we may be deaf or frail, but we do have feelings and we adore you all. Pick up the phone, there’s a good chance we will be home because where do we go these days-apart from the doctor.
I have to say, some of my children, all married now, don’t call us very often, but they find the time to call my elderly mother and send photos of her uhr eineklach. That is very special and amazing in this busy world. (We usually communicate on whatsapp!) I thought this ad was really clever although I don’t see the connection with the Hebrew University.