Couples often tell me that they want their children to have a religion that will teach the children good values. That’s a great start but it is certainly not a sufficient reason to choose to have a religion practiced in the home. First, you don’t need religion to be a person of principle and decency….
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A Patralineal Jew chooses to Convert
Michella Ore wrote a wonderful article for JVibe, a now out-of-print Jewish teen magazine, back in the spring of 2009. I contacted her recently to ask if I could reprint her article. I also asked her to give us an update on how her decisions were turning out for her. As a biracial daughter of…
Read More »The Question of Santa
A mom wrote me with this question: Last year we took our preschool age daughter to celebrate Christmas with the Christian relatives. Everything went smoothly because she was so young and didn’t ask any questions. This year she knows that we are helping to celebrate her cousins’ holiday not ours, but she is asking…
Read More »Christmas for your Child
Let’s talk about Christmas for the children in an interfaith family. Let me remind you of two truths: 1. Your child is not exactly like anyone else, so you can’t duplicate another parent’s choices. 2. Your child is not so unique that you can’t learn from other parents. In today’s world there is a bonus,…
Read More »“The Holidays” — Happy or just Greedy?
(Photo credit: Maggie Semple Blog) Here it comes, the holidays! The time that songs tell us is “the happiest time of the year.” Which raises the question, what makes us happy? American capitalist culture has a perpetual campaign to answer that question with THINGS! Things will make you happy! Cars, electronics, toys, whatever they are…
Read More »How to be a Fabulous Grandparent in an Interfaith Family
Your child has married someone not Jewish. You love their new spouse, but you worry. Will my grandchildren be Jewish? Will I say the wrong thing if I express my concerns and feelings? Should we invite the non- Jewish in-laws to Jewish celebrations at our home? Can we do Jewish activities with the grandchildren without…
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