Our son is developing an appetite for temple, and as his enthusiasm grows, so does mine. We have given him lots of exposure to Judaism, but we have tried not to push religion on him. We have just let it sort of be. Continue reading
Challah and how it is made has always had a mystique to me. Raised in a non-observant Jewish household, I never saw anyone make the golden, braided bread. As an adult, I bought it often, figuring baking a loaf of challah was beyond my reach. This year, as a secular New Year’s resolution, I made a vow I had avoided for years: I would learn how to make challah.
The New Year is just a few months old, and I have made challah, not once, but twice. Making challah, I now … Continue reading
It’s never too early to start teaching children about the importance of doing something for others. My son is 2 ½ years old. We will teach him tzedakah in baby steps. We’ll give him his own tzedakah box and help establish giving – whether it is in the form of money or time – as a natural part of life. Continue reading
What do the High Holy Days look like to a toddler? I imagine what’s going on in my 2 1/2-year-old’s son as he experiences Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur in bits and pieces. There’s yummy food, dogs at an old reservoir, and light sticks. Continue reading
>No candles were lit. No kiddush was chanted. No challah was on a table. And yet last Friday night still felt a lot like Shabbat.
My family met a friend and her 4-year-old daughter for a picnic in downtown Lexington and heard a free children’s music concert. Maybe Shabbat can be about more than ritual. It was a night about simply being together. Continue reading
Some people seem so comfortable at praying. They shut their eyes and recite words praising God and fold into their own private space. I am still learning how to pray.
I celebrated my adult bat mitzvah four years ago and led others in the traditional prayers of a Shabbat morning service. I did not stumble over the Hebrew, and yet my adrenalin rush stemmed not so much from the words of the prayer. It came from the people around me. It came from the sense of community.
Simon squirmed in his high chair as the Seder began. Then, he grabbed forks and spoons and clanged them together. Chagrined, I looked over at him. The woman next to me whispered not to worry. “You shall tell your children,” she reminded me. The Hagaddah, after all, urges us to tell the story of Jews’ freedom from slavery to our children.
But I sat there wondering what constitutes “telling” our children if they refuse to listen.
If you check out today’s Globe magazine, you will see my article about the no-gifts policy we tried at our son’s second birthday party this year. There’s a story behind the story. Urging our guests not to bring gifts to Simon’s birthday party was an extension of something we tried at Hanukkah. We gave our son a dreidel each night, and nothing else. My husband and I gave each other nothing.
Our plan in the years to come is to continue to make Hanukkah a gift-less holiday. This is a … Continue reading
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