Jewish mother syndrome may be understood in a variety of ways. To Jews and Judaism mothers have always been the foundations of the Jewish home. The Hebrew Bible depicts the self-sacrifice of the matriarchs Sarah, Rebecca, Leah and Rachel as role models. They fervently prayed to have and raise righteous children and took care to nurture their off-spring spiritually and physically. Motherhood and family were the essential components of a Torah life.

Over the millennia, Jewish motherhood was given pride of place in all Jewish societies. The Ten Commandments taught that it is right to honor and fear both father and mother. Every Jewish child was showered with love and positive reinforcement by his or her parents and extended family.

In modern times, however, certain clowns and comedians have created a denigrating image of the "nagging" Jewish mother, such as the film maker Woody Allen who based his contribution to New York Stories on such a stereotype. A stereotype was thus created by the entertainment industry, and an offensive so-called "Jewish mother syndrome" supposedly referred to a mythical figure who was deemed to be too stifling and controlling compared to the new norms of "self-sufficiency" and "autonomy" promoted and desired by the "rugged" modern cowboy-types, such as the "Marlboro Man", who evidently had "no need" for "Jewish mothers".