The Jewish Community Federation sent out this message: Kids spend an average of 7 hours a day on screens. How can we divert their attention from virtual life to real play, keeping them happy, motivated, and interested in the world around them? Two words: summer camp. Jewish overnight camp can be life-changing for a child….
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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…
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Dear Dawn: How many times do I have to hear a Jewish parent worry about the future of their child’s romance with a non-Jew? At a recent lunch with several Jewish girlfriends, one worried out loud about her son’s non-Jewish girlfriend. There is always this focus on the non-Jewish girlfriend/boyfriend’s perceived level of interest (or lack…
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I received a number of comments on my March 26 Mixed and Matched column about an 11-year-old who wants a bat mitzvah but would be starting from scratch because she has not been raised Jewish. I’d like to reply to all of you: “A bat mitzvah need not take place at age 13. You can have a…
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My practicing Christian husband and I have two girls. Our oldest will be 11 in the fall and has announced that we must join a synagogue and give her a bat mitzvah. I was raised Reform and didn’t have a bat mitzvah, though I was confirmed. We haven’t done anything to raise them with religion,…
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Why draw attention to differences? In interfaith homes there can be a strong desire to focus on what is the “same” between two faiths. This focus can become extreme when the adults teach the children that there “really is no significant difference” between say, Christianity and Judaism; they share universal values. It is quite true…
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