Dear Dawn: I moved in with my Jewish boyfriend in July. At that time, I agreed not to have Christmas in our apartment. Now I’m having second thoughts. I do Passover and Hanukkah with him. Christmas is just one day a year and I have so many beloved traditions. For me, getting and decorating the tree, shopping…
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Jewish Grandparents Lab: Creating Joy and Navigating the Obstacles
Transmitting a love of Jewish heritage, ritual and tradition to our grandchildren brings so much joy and at the same time can be challenging. Many of our kids are partnered with non-Jews and many of our sons and daughters are conflicted about religion. If you struggle with the December dilemma (Hanukkah and Christmas); if you…
Read More »Giving Thanks
Happy Thanksgiving! The entire point of Thanksgiving is to be thankful. It’s a great time to express appreciation in the form of a prayer or statement. If you like prayer, consider learning – or simply reading – one or more of the Jewish blessings over food. My Jewish Learning has a terrific page that gives…
Read More »With which family will you spend the holidays?
Where Will You Spend Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanukkah? Non-Jewish families are often confronted with which spouse’s family will get them for Christmas. One solution is to flip back and forth for Thanksgiving and Christmas. For interfaith families the question of “who gets us?” can be, Thanksgiving with the Jewish family and Christmas with the Christian (or…
Read More »Activities around the Bay for November
I saw a program on the Peninsula called Jammies and Jeans (see it below). I loved the name instantly and looked it up. Then, just to be 100 percent confident that it wasn’t just for members, I emailed my contact. She was delighted and hopes that some of you will give it a try – in Palo…
Read More »True Colors: A play by and about Jews of Color
True Colors: A play by and about Jews of Color This play has been described as: Humorous, revealing and inspiring stories from Jews of Color exploring identity, community, and what it means to be Jewish in modern times. It is also moving and thought provoking – for everyone. How do white Jews react to the…
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