Elliott Stern wrote:

"The plays the thing…"
     William Shakespeare

"Four score and seven years ago…"
     Abraham Lincoln

"One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind"
     Neil Armstrong

"May the force be with you"
     Obiwan Kenobi

"Beam me up Scotty, "
     Captain James T Kirk of the Starship Enterprise

"I’ll be right here"
     ET speaking to Elliott in ET the Extra Teresstrial

Famous Quotes --- Famous People .Recite any of these and the quotes and their authors are recognized immediately

HOWEVER
There are few quotes that mean more to me than the quotes I just recited.

They are the quotes and song lyrics my mother wrote for THE SOUND OF NACHAS in 1964.

My mother staged THE SOUND OF NACHAS as a Bar Mitzvah adaptation of the Sound of Music
According to my mother,"Nachas" translates as indescribable joy, pleasure and fullfillment.

It was almost 40 years ago and I was not quite 10 years old. Yet even today I somehow still manage to recite various quotes and creative lyrics from Mom’s script as though they were written yesterday. I use these one-liners on a daily basis.

The Sound of Nachas, title song and title of the play

Picture Julie Andrews on top of the mountain in the opening scene
(Sung to the tune of the Sound of Music )

Sung to the tune of Get Me to the Church On Time in My Fair Lady

The list of songs and lyrics from Sound of Music, My Fair Lady, South Pacific and others goes on and on.

My mother’s creative spirit is a part of me even today. Whether writing letters and compiling the weekly bulletin as the secretary at Temple Ner Tamid; Or writing a candelighting ceremony for Steve’s or for my own Bar Mitzvah, Mom’s talents always came through.

Mom wrote the Sound of Nachas as a fund raiser for Temple Ner Tamid in Downey.

Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer did not star in Mom’s adaptation of the Sound of Music. Members of Temple Ner Tamid starred in this award winning play, which ran for a record two consecutive sold out performances in February 1964.

Mom was the writer, producer, director, editor, lyricist, and publicist - She did it all. Am I still proud of this effort, you better believe it.

If you have been with me at any large gathering, you might have heard me say, "Isn’t this a lovely luncheon?" This line was spoken by guests at the Bar Mitvah party in Sound of Nachas

Or the Father reviewing the catering estimate with his wife for the Bar Mitzvah party. Listen to mom’s lyrics sung to the tune of Climb Every Mountain:

You will here me recite this anytime my wife or our nieces go shopping---with my credit card! Incidentally, my father played the part of the caterer in Sound of Nachas.

And speaking of catering a fine affair, mom made a hit with her own version of My Favorite Things:

When you come over to my house at Passover, at Thanksgiving, or even later this afternoon, my mother’s delicious verses will always permeate our house.

Mom excelled in her creativity and got her own natural high after viewing the results of a job well done. My mother may be gone, but she continues to live on through my personal and professional life. I too take pride and get my own natural high after a successful computer installation, charity fund raiser or special event.

Mom trained me so well. The lines and lyrics from the Sound of Nachas ring loud in my head – even 40 years after its debut.

The next time you see the movie or hear the soundtrack from the Sound of Music. don’t think Sound of Music. Think Sound of Nachas - of indescribable joy.

The next time you hear Climb Every Mountain, sing Spends All My Money

The next time you hear You are sixteen going on seventeen,. think of a Bar Mitvah boy singing, Almost thirteen going on fourteen, My life’s about to start…   You’ll carry the memory of mother with you and truly be inspired by her creativity, talent and love.

I’ll miss you mom but you are not really gone. Your creative talents permeate my very soul.

I guess it was your turn to say: "Beam me up!"

"Your passing has left a great disturbance in the force."    But since you have been a part of all of our lives. and I am quoting your own lyrics from the title song of The Sound of Nachas

Rest assured mom…

I am that little boy Elliott in ET. I know --- "you’ll always be right here."