The Hebrew calendar is like a window into the Jewish way of life. The pillars of the calendar are the high holidays, the building blocks are the days, marked by daily commandments upon every Jewish man and woman to comply with, and the weeks, marked by the Sabbath. Teaching your children about the Jewish calendar is a way to teach them about the Jewish way of life.

Jewish life in America has thrived, particularly since the influx of Jewish immigrants in the late 19^th century, has thrived and remains an important part of the American fabric.  These large and established communities created all of the necessary infrastructure to be able to lead a Jewish life in America from Jewish day schools to synagogues to non-profit organizations to kosher supermarkets and more.

From the prevalent to the obscure, Jewish symbols are a part of the historic and religious expression of the Jewish religion. From the day you step foot in a Synagogue, attend Hebrew Sunday school or attend a Jewish day school, those symbols will be there, expressed in varying manifestations. Even those of us with limited exposure to Judaism can probably list the major ones.  As Jews, we aren’t allowed to express our God or biblical characters in any physical/visual/artistic way.  It’s instead these Jewish symbols that provide us a way to remember, to connect and to see who we are on a regular basis.

As Jews, we too have the duty to teach our children about who we are.  Sometimes, it’s through these symbols that they can easily connect and remember.  The question is, how do we go about teaching our children about these symbols and what they mean to us?  The first step is in identifying the ones you want to teach.  There are symbols that we use all year round and symbols that we connect to various important holidays.  There are many symbols, certainly more than can be covered in one article. 

Here are my top 5 Jewish symbols that you can start by focusing on.

The Jewish holidays are an important element of establishing a basic Jewish identity and understanding for your kids.  They (and you) might relate to the religious component, or the family traditions, or the food.  Whatever that connection is, the important thing is that there is one.  Jews are hard wired to pass lessons and traditions down from generation to generation.  If a holiday tradition was a staple in your household, you may be grappling with how to get these traditions to become just as familiar and comforting to your children as they are for you.  But, not everyone grew up in an observant home.  You may have the desire to include Jewish holidays and traditions in your home but lack the know-how.

Discussing the religious components of the Jewish holidays is a book unto itself.  There’s knowing the major holidays, understand what they represent in the Jewish calendar and their biblical significance, understanding the rabbinical interpretations and the laws around each of these holidays, discussing the denominational differences of how they’re observed and more.  Instead, I’ll cover 3 areas that are common to every Jewish holiday and can be focused on even if you haven’t a clue about the rest: food, tradition and symbols and family. They’re bound more to traditions and an easy first step into acknowledging these holidays in your home and teaching your kids about them.

As parents, we are constantly trying to inspire our kids and guide them into being the best possible human beings they can be. Along the way we are challenged by them, disconnected and often disputed - all from a place of unconditional love (obviously). In today’s day and age (and this is when I start to sound like my own mother) the question is how do we turn our kids into the mensch we envisioned standing before us on their coming of age, while keeping our cool as we dodge toys and cars being thrown at our face… This is my guide to how to turn your kid into a Jewish Mensch before he or she turns Bar/Bat mitzvah!

Providing kids with Jewish cultural experiences and facts for kids on Judaism can be challenging. You make an effort to connect your kids to their Jewish identity and roots at home. Whether that’s through Jewish education, Jewish traditions, and customs, Friday night dinners, preparing traditional Jewish cultural foods, or sending them to Jewish summer camp (and the list goes on), it’s part and parcel of American Jewish living. 

In today’s world of fake news, it’s important to keep up to date with relevant Jewish news through reputable and trustworthy news sites.  There is an abundance of current affairs sites in English that will allow you to keep informed on all that is happening both in Israel, the Middle East and worldwide Jewry.  Here are the top 10 Jewish news sites to follow: 

It’s no secret that pretty much every Jewish tradition and holiday revolves around some sort of food consumption.  Jewish tradition does not exist without the somewhat bland yet oh so delicious foods that accompany it.   

You grew up on this food.  It was likely a staple in your childhood home.  The question is, how do you get these foods to become just as familiar and comforting to your children as it is for you?  Well, the easiest solution is to make it a staple in your household.  But that requires a lot of arduous cooking.  So instead, save these recipes for holidays and special occasions (I’ve provided a recipe for each so you can get to cooking if you’d like).  Make your children associate these wonderful tastes with a holiday they love and look forward to year after year.  Maybe even help them learn about other Jewish cultures by introducing foods popular in other countries or in other families of different Jewish backgrounds. Here are my top Jewish food staples and how to go about getting your little ones to savor them as much as you do.

Jewish tradition teaches us that we must instill in our children the lesson of giving to our community and those around us in need.  It’s a very basic part of what it means to be Jewish and an important part of a helping create a strong Jewish identity for your kids.  In today’s world of instant gratification and quick fixes, it’s hard to really shock our kids into being passionate about what they have and what they can give. It’s rare to find the opportunity in the daily hustle and bustle to take the time as a family to show our appreciation. That’s why I like to combine my family vacation with an extra component of educational travel for kids, in particular the lesson of Tikun Olam – the  Jewish acts of kindness designed to repair and protect our world.  

Incredible rhythm and sound, beautiful beaches, vintage cars and a rich history just a few hours from the US…sounds tempting, right?  Cuba is an absolute must see destination.  It should definitely be on your bucket list.  

Our tour to Cuba is about immersing yourself in the people, art and culture of Cuba.  You’ll roam the streets of Havana, Cienfuegos and Trinidad, meet with important community activists, see the buzzing art scene, roll a cigar or two and slow it down with leisurely dinners on warm nights. 

As an American, travelling to Cuba hasn’t always been possible.  But thanks to some significant changes in U.S.Cuban relations, Cuba is now a doable destination.  While the relationship between the two countries is certainly warming up, there’s a feeling of urgency to visit this incredible country sooner rather than later. Some say the relations could change and travelling there could be harder in the future. Others say it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship and there’s just a few years left before foreign investment comes funneling in and Cuba becomes the next Miami and the unique idiosyncrasies of this country become a thing of the past.  Either way, now is the time to travel to Cuba to still catch what makes it so special.