I'm Looking for a Jewish Summer Camp For My Children - What are My Options?
with Gail Green
In this column, various Bay Area experts will respond to your questions about family life and relationships between people of different faiths. If you have a question for our experts, please email us at bridges@sfjcf.org.
Jewish camps are a great way for children from interfaith families to spend the summer. They’ll have a wonderful time participating in a variety of age-appropriate activities, guided by trained and caring counselors. Amidst the sports, arts and crafts, and general enjoyment of the great outdoors, they’ll learn a bit about Judaism. And there are camperships – scholarships for camping – available through the Jewish community if the costs are too steep for a family.
Adults from interfaith families who attended Jewish summer camps as children have talked about the powerful impact of a total immersion experience. They related the delight they felt as kids being fully embraced by the Jewish community regardless of their level of practice. Some went on to be camp counselors and were empowered as leaders in the camp community... [continued]
Purim: When You Can Throw a Sponge at the Rabbi's Face
By Jim Keen
This story has been reprinted with permission from www.jewishfamily.com
As a Christian dad helping to raise a Jewish family, I've always been fascinated by the holiday of Purim. With everyone dressing up in costumes, the holiday has seemed to me to be a kind of springtime Halloween. However, instead of honoring ghosts, goblins, and other such things, Purim celebrates the Jewish people's ability to live on during a time when they could have been wiped out. My wife and I feel that this is an accessible, kid-friendly holiday that our whole family can enjoy. Plus, with all of the costumes, goodies to eat, and the carnival atmosphere, what's not to like? [continued] |
