Meet Teny Gross. Read his Meet-A-Parent (MAP) interview here.
traditions: tips / resources
1. Jewish stories from the PJ library program
2. Temple Emanuel website: www.teprov.org
3. We read to our kids every night.
4. We go on nature walks.
5. We work in our garden.
6. We go to peace events.
7. We vote together.
8. We have an annual block party and community pot lucks.
9. The kids see us sharing with neighbors.
10. We have an open garden and open home philosophy with our neighbors, sharing food and cultures.
11. Our kids go to the International Charter School where they learn to speak Portuguese and are immersed in Portuguese culture.
12. We do not hit our kids.
13. We are not afraid to set limits, bed time, homework time, appropriate behavior etc.
15. We incorporate traditions from multiple cultures in our family by doing Jewish, Christian and secular stuff, and spending time with people from many cultures.
alternatives to participating in traditional holidays and commercialism:
– Set limits and establish a sense of proportion. Holidays always evolve, and are a mix of traditions (Christian holidays for example are a mix with Roman traditions). Our kids write letters to Santa and know that they will get 1 gift from Santa only and a few from us. (Luckily for the kids, their grandmothers do not always comply.)
– We get our Christmas tree on the weekend of our anniversary to share this special time with the kids. We buy the tree that we think no one else will pick. We choose the one that is crooked or homely so it has a home for the holiday.
- We do not give presents for Channuka. We celebrate the Jewish traditions in a noncommercial way.
