This past weekend was the Jewish holiday of Purim.
My synagogue celebrated with a Purim Carnival that was preceded with a reading from the “Megillah” which is the book of Purim. The above pics are my son reading from the Megillah, we couldn’t be more proud!
Background
My son has 2 dads who both practice different religions. The other dad is Catholic and I am Jewish. Like many families in today’s America, we settled the religion question the old fashioned way – I decided!. Well, the child takes the mother’s religion, and that’s me. I am the mom, after all I do everything, that’s the definition, right? My spouse grew up in Brooklyn with a lot of Jewish people and sometimes walks around the house muttering in Yiddish, so it is working for all of us. We also agree that the academic component of Hebrew School is something we want to encourage in our son, he will be learning a whole other language.
In addition, we go to a Synagogue that is 2 blocks from my son’s Public School. Many of the Catholics in our immediate area go to the Parochial school, so our school has a higher percentage of Jewish students than it otherwise might have. The advantage to the parochial school is that it goes till 8th grade. My school goes through the 5th and in Manhattan you have to apply to the middle schools, there is nothing automatic.
Anyway, 4 other student s from his grade at his school are at Hebrew school with him: the sense of community is strong in so many areas. It is also a very welcoming place, especially to our mixed religion, same sex parent family. I love how my son has taken to this place and has even followed my instructions and already picked a future fiancee!
Involving the kids as this service does helps to keep the kids close and interested. That is different than my day and as a parent I greatly appreciate it. And I can tell you that my son loved being on-stage!
Lastly, his friend and he had a fund raising booth.
You paid to shoot Nerf bullets at them.
This was so much more fun to the boys in theory before the bullets satrted flying!
He did an awesome job! 🙂
Git yontif! I found you through Patty – she linked up to your adoption story on her site, and omg, it’s incredible. I’m half asleep so I have a post or two left to go, but I am in awe reading it. Also, I wonder if I was one of those Jewish neighbors of your spouse back in Brooklyn. 😉 My daughter is only 4, but my husband is “nothing” and I am Jewish, and I hope someday she’ll be steeped in the religion a bit, as well. Which’ll be hard down here in NC, but I’m working on it! Nice to *meet* you.
Paul did such a great job up there! Your hearts must have been swelling with pride!
I love how you and your spouse have come to a comfortable, fair compromise with regards to how your son will be raised. DH and I still haven’t figured out the religion thing, as far as how we want to do things with the boys. I am spiritual, he is spiritual/agnostic (lol) and we really want to find a nice medium for the boys. We shall see.
How beautiful!! I am also in the process of deciding which religion our child will follow. I am christian non denominational and my fiance is catholic. He isnt devote which makes it all the more annoying that he wants the child to be engulfed by the traditions. Thanks for the post and good luck!
s.p.a.y.t.o.n(at)hotmail(dot)com