Cooking Jewish Whether You’re Jewish or Not: Chanukah Food plays a big part in Jewish culture and holidays. What if you’re not Jewish but want to create a wonderful festive meal for your family and friends? What if you are Jewish and you want to make the holiday more joyous, meaningful and delicious? Then come…
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Chanukah Events
A couple Saturdays ago I went to the bar mitzvah of a young man. Like all rites of passage it changed the lives of each member of the family and reminded each guest of the transitory nature of our lives. It reminded me of my own children’s b’nai mitzvot (plural for bar or bat mitzvah)….
Read More »The Fervently Jewish Child
One Jewish parent described her preschooler as having become very excited about Judaism. Mom said her child was expected her to “do Jewish” at a much higher level than she had even done before. Her daughter wants Shabbat each week, insisted on going to adult services for the High Holidays and wanted a sukkah in…
Read More »When Kids ask “Jewish” questions of their non-Jewish Parent
Many non-Jewish parents feel, I’m not Jewish and I don’t know how to teach my kids about something I never learned and I don’t believe. What do I do? If your child got the assignment to do a report on Hinduism or Socialism you wouldn’t have to be a Hindu or a Socialist to know…
Read More »My Child is “Half” Me
How can our child be half of each of us and still be one religious identity? In a recent workshop a Jewish parent was concerned that their spouse needed to feel that their child is “half” him and they weren’t sure how to make that half something other than half-Jewish and half-Catholic. Look at what…
Read More »Feeling like the “Outsider Parent”
In a recent workshop a mother spoke of the challenges from her own interfaith upbringing and her desire to avoid being the odd-parent-out, as one of her own parents had been. Being the non-Jewish parent in a Jewish family may feel “other” because you did not have a Jewish childhood, don’t know much about Jewish…
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