In my January 2014 column, Mixed and Matched, I shared a letter from a Jewish Dad who felt his wife was not doing enough to raise his children as Jews. After reading the article a gentleman who is the non-Jewish husband in a couple who has participated in my programs wrote a very astute article…
Read More »Children
Preparing for Passover
Getting ready for the Seder What are ways to make your guests feel that they are a part of the evening even if they are not Jewishly knowledgeable? Invite guests to bring something. This will give them a feeling of ownership and contribution. Anyone can buy matzah or kosher wine. They can make a fruit…
Read More »What Will Your Family’s Narrative Be?
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….
Read More »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,…
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