If your child is a patrilineal Jew or a person of color, they may be assumed to not be Jewish. How can you build a strong identity for them? A wonderful couple I know has five grown children who are interracial and intercultural. Their Chinese mom converted before marriage. The couple raised their children Jewish…
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Is B’nai Mitzvah Prep too Demanding on Families’ Time?
I am Jewish, and my husband was Catholic but no longer identifies with any religion. I care strongly about raising our children Jewish, and my husband supports me. Now, with three children, we find this decision to have an increasing impact on our time-strapped lives — what with weekly classes, each child’s class Shabbat, parent…
Read More »Grandparents, who are they and what do they mean to us?
Isn’t it funny how we portray grandmothers and grandfathers? On one hand, I see headlines that say, Not Your Grandfather’s Shul or Not Your Grandmother’s Challah – always with the implication that the things of your grandparents are outdated, lousy, good to discard. Then, on the other hand, I see articles titled, How to Cook…
Read More »I Found Religion, My Spouse Left It, What About Our Kids?
Dear Dawn: I’m the daughter of a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother who raised me with no religion. Finding my way into Judaism has been difficult and, at times, painful. My partner, Tom, was raised Christian and is now an atheist. While he has warm feelings for his church, he no longer belongs. When discussing how…
Read More »Is it OK to leave decisions about burial to our kids?
Dear Dawn: I read where you said that parents should decide how they want to be buried and tell their children. That all sounds good, but my wife is Catholic and determined to be buried in a church cemetery. I’m Jewish and I really don’t care where I’m buried, except that I do not want to…
Read More »Don’t Leave End-of-Life Decisions to Your Children
My son’s wife’s grandfather is dying. He is in his 90’s and his body has given out. He told his granddaughter that he is ready to go and has stopped eating in order to facilitate his exit. As you can imagine, she cries every day. He lives states away and she and my son call…
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