For Israeli kids, every day is independence day
By Inbal Arieli for Israel21c
From the moment they can raise their heads, we encourage our sons and daughters to explore the world around them without fear or constraint.
People ask me all the time: “What makes Israel such a cradle of innovation?” or “Why are Israelis constantly busy with new initiatives?”
I have given these questions a lot of thought and quite frankly, I think it starts from the cradle.
Granted, I’m an Israeli mother, so perhaps I am a bit biased, but I think the answer to why Israel is such a laboratory of innovation and entrepreneurship begins with the way modern Israelis raise their children.
Why Bother? A Religious School Manifesto
By Rabbi Nicki Greninger on eJewishPhilanthropy
*This goes out to all parents thinking of sending their kids to a (Jewish) religious school… to parents who were raised Jewish, those who chose Judaism, and those who aren’t Jewish but married a Jew.*
In the last month, I’ve had several conversations that got me thinking. One friend asked a group of us who went to Jewish summer camp together (we are now grown up with kids of our own), “Are you going to send your kids to religious school?” In another social situation, a friend innocently asked “Why do kids go to religious school twice a week starting in third grade?” In both cases, these friends of mine are connected to the Jewish community and are already committed to raising Jewish kids. But they (along with many others) wonder about the value of religious school, and about the time commitment required to take part in it. Is it worth it?
18 DIY Outdoor Games You Should Play This Summer
BY RORI KOTCH for Country Living
Looking for some great idea to make and do with the kids? Make your next backyard bash a hit with these DIY lawn games.
Make This a Summer of Jewish learning!
From bimbam
Watch Something Jewish
This summer, between all of the camps and trips, make sure that you take a little time to engage Jewishly with your children.
No matter what their age, BimBam has engaging, high quality, educational content that will meet them where they are, and hopefully spark an interest in Judaism. Your child can learn about:
- Jewish values and how to practically apply them in our Shaboom! series.
- Holidays, rituals, and traditions in our Judaism 101 series.
- The weekly Torah portion and other Jewish texts.
How an Anxious Jewish Mother Became a Free-Range Parent
BY CARLA NAUMBURG for Kveller
I am not built to be a free-range mother. I am anxious and over-protective by nature, and my years of experience as a social worker have only increased my awareness of everything that could happen to my daughters, from sexual abuse to traumatic brain injuries. If I had my way, my girls wouldn’t leave the house without a GPS tracking device, a helmet, a cellphone, and a Taser Jr.
And so I was as surprised as anyone when I realized I had started free-range parenting my daughters, ages 7 and 8.5. The girls will spend weekend afternoons running to the neighbors’ house, and then sometimes the other neighbors’ house, and eventually either my husband or I end up texting the other parents on the block in order to figure out where they are.
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