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Lisa Cain Hammerman: The miraculous art of motherhood

From Jerusalem Post · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Lisa Cain Hammerman found a sense of belonging in Israel in 1979 while volunteering on a kibbutz after her father's death.
  • Despite a rebellious youth, her Jewish identity was strong, influenced by her father, a cantor, and a Zionist education.
  • Forty-six years later, she reflects on her journey of persistence, faith, and miracles in building a life in Israel.

Lisa Cain Hammerman, now 72, recalls the pivotal moment in 1979 when she realized Israel was where she belonged. Arriving as a volunteer on a kibbutz shortly after her father's unexpected death, she was assigned to a nursery due to her fluent Hebrew. Within a week, the experience of caring for children and immersing herself in Israeli life made her feel more at home than she ever had in the United States.

I felt more at home in Israel than I ever felt in the US.

— Lisa Cain HammermanRecalling her feelings upon arriving in Israel as a volunteer in 1979.

"I was anchorless, rudderless, and at sea," Cain Hammerman says, describing her state after her father's death. "I was ready to do whatever it took to find myself and feel grounded in this world." Her journey to Israel was part of a search for direction and a way back to Judaism, which had been a significant part of her upbringing in Brookline, Massachusetts. Her father, a respected cantor of a large Conservative congregation, instilled in her a strong Jewish identity through a rigorous Hebrew and Zionist education.

I was anchorless, rudderless, and at sea. I was ready to do whatever it took to find myself and feel grounded in this world.

— Lisa Cain HammermanDescribing her emotional state after her father's death and before her journey to Israel.

Despite her upbringing, Cain Hammerman rebelled against authority as a teenager in the 1960s, questioning perceived hypocrisies and secretly defying some religious observances. This rebellion pained her father, who wished for her to be a "good Jewish girl." Her life took a dramatic turn with his death on January 1, 1979, leaving her feeling disoriented and adrift.

He was an important person. People looked up to him tremendously.

— Lisa Cain HammermanRemembering her father, a cantor, and his standing in their community.

Her initial short volunteer stint in Israel evolved into a life-changing experience. Unlike many immigrants, she arrived without preconceived Zionist or religious expectations. "Israel didn’t have to live up to any Zionist ideals or religious expectations for me," she notes. This lack of pressure, combined with her connection to her people and a burgeoning artistic career, allowed her to establish roots. Sitting in her home in Mitzpe Yericho, surrounded by her artwork and family, Cain Hammerman views her realization in Israel as the start of a transformative journey built on persistence, faith, and what she calls improbable miracles.

He wanted me to grow up to be a good Jewish girl.

— Lisa Cain HammermanReflecting on her father's wishes for her during her teenage rebellion.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Jerusalem Post. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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