|
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
|
 |
||||||||
Talking to Your Interfaith Grandkids URJ PRESS Publishes Book for the Jewish Grandparents While Jewish statisticians continue to ponder the ramifications of the National Jewish Population Survey's report that about one-third of children of interfaith marriages are being raised as Jews, Jewish grandparents have much more practical concerns: How do they pass Jewish traditions, ethics and values to the next generation -- without alienating the children's parents? Mingled Roots: A Guide for Grandparents of Interfaith Children draws on the Reform Movement's more than 25 years of experience in involving interfaith couples and their children in Jewish life to answer these concerns. In this new, expanded edition of Mingled Roots: A Guide for Grandparents of Interfaith Children, recently published by the URJ PRESS, author Sunie Levin helps Jewish grandparents deal with the etiquette of being a Jewish role model while respecting the parents' wishes regarding religion. Levin's book, originally published in 1991, has been "an invaluable resource for us over the years," says Kathryn Kahn, the UAHC's associate director of Outreach and Synagogue Community. "It suggests great ways that grandparents can share Judaism, and emphasizes the huge influence that they have on the lives of their grandchildren, from passing on traditions to sharing positive memories of Judaism. "In addition, it is one of very few resources targeted to Jewish grandparents, filling a very important niche," Kahn adds. The limited authority grandparents have in raising their grandchildren is one of Levy's most important points, and she urges grandparents to work with their intermarried children, gaining parental consent and trust before introducing grandchildren to Judaism. "It is important for you to respect your adult children's prerogative in raising their own children," she writes. "Let [your adult children and their families] know that while your needs regarding family heritage are valid, you accept and respect their way of doing things in their home." Levin provides dozens of ideas to help grandparents expose their grandchildren to the breadth and beauty of Jewish life. She recommends inviting them over to participate in Shabbat dinner; teaching them words and phrases in Hebrew, Yiddish, and "Yinglish;" celebrating Jewish holidays with them; and teaching them about important topics such as Israel, tzedakah, and famous Jewish writers, musicians, statesmen, and other notables. By exposing grandchildren to their Jewish heritage, Levin writes, grandparents help them form a complete picture of their own identities, a sense of their family's history, a foundation of solid ethical and moral guidelines, and, most importantly, a very special relationship between grandparent and grandchild. The text of Mingled Roots is enriched by dozens of black-and-white illustrations by artist Dahlia G. Schoenberg. It can be ordered online at the URJ PRESS Web site, www.URJPress.com, or by contacting the URJ PRESS toll-free at (888) 489-8242, press@urj.org. The URJ PRESS is the book-publishing arm of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the synagogue arm of the Reform Movement in North America. Uniting more than 1.5 million Reform Jews in 900 congregations across the United States and Canada, UAHC programs and services include music and book publishing, adult education opportunities, outreach to unaffiliated and intermarried Jews, and the Religious Action Center in Washington, DC. ### 10/03
|
|||||||||
|
633 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 | P 212.650.4120 | F 212.650.4199 |
|||||||||
