All My Children

Depending on what being Jewish means to you, your guidance to your child can be as specific as you prefer. Ultimately, what you’ll probably do is assess your child’s needs and determine how Jewishness fits into that picture. I want to supplement your ideas with a few suggestions that have occurred to me in speaking with Jewish parents.

First and foremost, I would recommend that you stress the rich historical legacy of the Jewish religion. A five-thousand-year-old civilization is certainly worthy of recognition and your child should be as aware as anyone of Jewish lineage. With very young children, you can teach about historical figures through playing “a mix and match” game. Prepare for your child a list of major figures, including both men and women, and a second list of reasons for their importance. Mix up the items of each list and ask your child to match people with events. For example, “Solomon” might correspond to “known for his wisdom” or for “building a temple.” “Joseph” might go with “the coat of many colors” or “interpreter of dreams.” “Sarah” might be correctly matched with “mother of Isaac.” The game should be fun and should not be treated as a scholastic test or exercise.

When it comes to discussion, try to relate each of these figure to the perpetuation of the Jewish religion. What role did each play? Perhaps more importantly, what does their contribution have to teach your child about life today? Whenever you are speaking about the Jewish legacy, remember to point out the willpower, strength, and sense of conviction that many leaders have called upon. Don’t be afraid to show your child a sense of pride, if that is what you feel. Pride is a wonderful teacher and it can be contagious. I would also suggest discussing biblical figures in real, nonfantastic terms. Point out to your child that these were human recent years, there has been a considerable push toward equality of the sexes among Reform Jews and this trend is also affecting the other groups. In a move that brings modern Jewry closer to modern Christian practices in style and ceremony, Reform services now include choirs and instrumental music.

If your child asks about religious services and Jewish holidays, what would you stress? You can point out a number of key terms and remembrances. Each of these Jewish groups meets in a synagogue or temple, where a rabbi (”teacher”) oversees religious practice. The Sabbath service is led by a cantor who sings hymns and prayers. The focus of most services is The Five Books of Moses (Torah), along with generous portions of Talmud, sixty- three books of legal, ethical and philosophical writing. Other religious hymns and prayers, a good number written by King David of biblical importance, round out the service.

Among Jewish holidays, the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) in the fall and Passover (Pesach) in the spring are among the most important. Remember to tell your child the purposes of each event as well as the major symbols and rituals. Remember to ask which of these practices most appeal to your child, as well as which appeals the least.

Yom Kippur is the day that Jews repent for their sins and ask for God’s forgiveness. This holiday seems a direct result of the Old Testament view of God as a judge and symbol of justice. Traditionally, Jews fast on this day in order to demonstrate their faith and focus on spiritual matters. Rosh Hashanah precedes Yom Kippur by a week and signifies the beginning of the Jewish calendar. It also marks the starting point for reflection and the purging of guilt, symbolically enacted by the tossing of bread crumbs into a brook or stream. Passover commemorates the great exodus of the Jews from Egypt through God’s intervention. In thankful remembrance, Jews eat only unleavened bread and carefully prepared Passover food. At the ritual dinner called seder, Jews eat certain foods in a specific order and read out loud the story of the enslaved Jews‘ exodus from Egypt.

The family has long since been the center of Jewish life. With the ever-increasing mobility of Jews in America, families are much more separate than in any time in recent history. Jewish families now use religious holidays as a time to gather together. beings, with strengths and weaknesses, who played major roles in the history of the Jewish religion. Encourage your child to consider the motives of Joseph’s brothers or the ambitions of Saul; inspire your child to imagine the predicaments of Job or the courage of the Maccabees. Try to help your child envision the actual human experience of these ancient heroes. This technique should help your youngster relate to historical figures as people. It should also focus attention on the universal qualities illustrated by the characters, beyond the battle scenes and the miraculous events. You can ask your child, “Do you see examples of these qualities in modern times?” “How about in people we know?”

Concerning Jewish holidays and rituals, I believe the clearest priority is to be explicit about the reasons behind related activities. Your child needs to know why you perform each and every task, not just how to perform those tasks. Be ready to say why you believe in the importance of a ritual, too. For example, if you do not eat bread on Passover, tell your child about the historical significance of that practice. But why does your family continue to abstain from bread? Is it because you identify with the suffering the Jews experienced in the land of Egypt? Or is it that you perpetuate Jewish culture by maintaining selected rituals? Why do you perform some rituals but not others? Be assured that your son or daughter will want to know, so be prepared.

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