It can be a challenge to have everyone from your neighbor’s toddler to your great uncle coming to your Seder. Will people be bored? Will they get hungry? Will the kids wander from the table eliciting grumbling from other guests? Come discuss ways to engage different ages from infant to school age to teen to…
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What Makes a Home “Jewish”?
A Jew may ask their spouse to agree to have a “Jewish” home. But what does that mean? To a non-Jewish loved one it may mean simply that some of the people in the house say they are Jews. But our partners deserve a more in-depth answer. One Jew may say, a Jewish home has…
Read More »When in Rome…
(Image: Rabbi Jonathan Prosnit of Beth Am teaching kids) You’ve no doubt heard the saying, ‘When in Rome, do as the Romans do’. This phrase dates back to the 4th century of the Common Era, but has remained in use because it continues to be relevant. When do you do things “your way” and when…
Read More »Leap Days, Summer Camp and Community Activities
(Image: Camp Tawonga) Here we are on the brink of March! In a flash it will be full-blown spring. Gregorian Calendar vs. Jewish Calendar Tomorrow is Leap Day. We only get one every four years. I feel like there should be something special done on February 29. Interestingly this is also the year we get two…
Read More »Will Our Kids Become What We Want Them to Be?
A couple often breathes a sigh of relieve when they decide what their target is – THIS is the religion we want for our child. But I want that sigh to be both for the joy of having a shared goal and for accepting that you can’t actually determine your child’s future religion/culture/identity. Every child…
Read More »T’rumah/Offering: Going Deeper into Torah Text
The Torah portion T’rumah is about the building of the Tabernacle in the desert. This could be read at face value as a rather boring set of building instructions. But we are never limited to the simple meaning in Torah. Rabbi Josh Weisman of Temple Beth Sholom in San Leandro sent this beautiful message to…
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