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Balabusta

6 December 2014

In the 2002 film “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” there is a line that describes exactly what is a Balabusta:“The man is the head, but the woman is the neck. And she can turn the head any way she wants.”

My mother is a Balabusta, so you can say I have a ‘lifetime’ experience with that term.

It is a Yiddish expression among Ashkenazi Jews that means “Mistress of the House” (Ba’alat ha Ba’yit) in an extremely positive way (e.g. “look at that Balabusta, finished working in the bank, takes the kids out of school, makes dinner for everyone and goes to Krav-Maga in the evening!”).

This term is very close to my mind and heart, for the simple reason it gives me power and inspiration from 3 different Balabustot in my life: Tzaffi Rabin - my cool mother, Danit Bar - my awesome sister and Jodi Rabin - my dearest wife, without whom I wouldn’t have become what I am today.

by: Amit Rabin