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January 2007
Regional News
North Bay A large percentage of children enrolled in the early childhood education programs at the Osher Marin Jewish Community Center (OMJCC) are from interfaith families. That’s why Janet Harris, who directs the department, places special emphasis on providing education and coaching about Jewish life to parents. Harris, director of Early Childhood and Family Education (ECE) at OMJCC, offers a variety of opportunities, some of which include children and some that are strictly for parents. Among the parent-directed programs are “how to” classes about Jewish holidays, parent Shabbat activities and one-to-one coaching. The goal, says Harris, is teach parents “how to incorporate traditions, how to be true to yourself and how to raise a Jewish child within that context. What does being Jewish mean to us as Jews, or to a non-Jew living with a Jewish person, in this century?” In order to facilitate understanding, Harris does several things. First, she brings couples together in homes for havdalah (a short service at the close of Shabbat) to share the tradition along with their own ideas and practices they’ve incorporated into their family’s lives. In addition, she writes a column each week in the ECE newsletter about the Torah portion and how it relates to Jewish parenting. The column, she explains, enables parents to see that Judaism isn’t only about celebrating holidays. Judaism is not a “pediatric religion,” Harris says. “Don’t do it just for your kids. Do it for yourself. Kids may open the door, but parents must have a personal experience on an adult level in order to create meaning.” For information about OMJCC’s infant/toddler and pre-school classes, contact Harris at 415.444.8000 or jharris@marinjcc.org. « Previous Article |
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