BBYO - would my kids be welcome? How does it work?

[Anonymous]

I’m a secular Jew, and haven’t belonged to a synagogue for 25 years. My husband is a non-practicing Christian. My kids are 14 and 16 and they haven’t really been raised in any religion; we do Christmas with DH’s family and High Holidays, Passover and Chanukah with mine. But that’s really it.

Entirely on their own, my kids have become very curious about their Jewish heritage and want to learn more about it. They’ve recently heard about BBYO and are thinking of joining some of the activities, but would they be welcome if they aren’t religious and are just very new to it all? They haven’t had a bar/bat mitzvah. I’m feeling a bit guilty that I’ve deprived them of all of this.

Is BBYO a welcoming, inclusive community in general? DD in particular has some mild SN and can be quite shy when meeting new people. I was told by a friend that there’s a variety of groups within the organization and a niche for every kind of kid.

Just wondering what my kids might expect if they give it a try.

[Anonymous]

This may not be helpful, but I did BBYO years ago (I am in my late 30s), and I think your kids would totally be welcomed. I don’t remember ever discussing my Bar or Bat Mitzvah, just doing things with other Jewish teens. Of course, this was years ago, but I would guess that today, there are even more kids from interfaith families, etc. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a secular Jew, and haven’t belonged to a synagogue for 25 years. My husband is a non-practicing Christian. My kids are 14 and 16 and they haven’t really been raised in any religion; we do Christmas with DH’s family and High Holidays, Passover and Chanukah with mine. But that’s really it.

Entirely on their own, my kids have become very curious about their Jewish heritage and want to learn more about it. They’ve recently heard about BBYO and are thinking of joining some of the activities, but would they be welcome if they aren’t religious and are just very new to it all? They haven’t had a bar/bat mitzvah. I’m feeling a bit guilty that I’ve deprived them of all of this.

Is BBYO a welcoming, inclusive community in general? DD in particular has some mild SN and can be quite shy when meeting new people. I was told by a friend that there’s a variety of groups within the organization and a niche for every kind of kid.

Just wondering what my kids might expect if they give it a try.

BBYO is great for for kids like yours looking to expand their jewish knowledge. It is very social oriented but lots of opportunities for learning. It is also a good way for kids to expand their social network beyond school. Everyone is welcomed and made to feel part of things. There are different chapters so your kids would need to explore which chapter they may like.

[Anonymous]

I’m a secular Jew, and haven’t belonged to a synagogue for 25 years. My husband is a non-practicing Christian. My kids are 14 and 16 and they haven’t really been raised in any religion; we do Christmas with DH’s family and High Holidays, Passover and Chanukah with mine. But that’s really it.

This statement reinforces my opinion that most American Jews, at least the Leftist/Progressive ones, can be summarized thusly: atheists strongly adhering to a religious family tradition. I would say this applies also to non-practicing Catholics: atheists with a religious family tradition but not as strongly loyal to that identity as a Jew.

By no means do I mean any offense by these statements, it is only an observation based upon my limited knowledge of Judaism. For instance, I do not consider Hasidic Jews to be atheists but I could be wrong.

[Anonymous]

BBYO is perfect for your kids. It's not connected to a synagogue or temple, like USY or NFTY. My husband and I met through BBYO in the 1990's!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

I’m a secular Jew, and haven’t belonged to a synagogue for 25 years. My husband is a non-practicing Christian. My kids are 14 and 16 and they haven’t really been raised in any religion; we do Christmas with DH’s family and High Holidays, Passover and Chanukah with mine. But that’s really it.

This statement reinforces my opinion that most American Jews, at least the Leftist/Progressive ones, can be summarized thusly: atheists strongly adhering to a religious family tradition. I would say this applies also to non-practicing Catholics: atheists with a religious family tradition but not as strongly loyal to that identity as a Jew.

By no means do I mean any offense by these statements, it is only an observation based upon my limited knowledge of Judaism. For instance, I do not consider Hasidic Jews to be atheists but I could be wrong.

Jew here you are 100% wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I’m a secular Jew, and haven’t belonged to a synagogue for 25 years. My husband is a non-practicing Christian. My kids are 14 and 16 and they haven’t really been raised in any religion; we do Christmas with DH’s family and High Holidays, Passover and Chanukah with mine. But that’s really it.

This statement reinforces my opinion that most American Jews, at least the Leftist/Progressive ones, can be summarized thusly: atheists strongly adhering to a religious family tradition. I would say this applies also to non-practicing Catholics: atheists with a religious family tradition but not as strongly loyal to that identity as a Jew.

By no means do I mean any offense by these statements, it is only an observation based upon my limited knowledge of Judaism. For instance, I do not consider Hasidic Jews to be atheists but I could be wrong.

Jew here you are 100% wrong.

Secular: denoting attitudes, activities, or other things that have no religious or spiritual basis.

A person who truly believes in Gd is not secular. A non-practicing Jew or a non-practicing Catholic is indistinguishable from an atheist, many of whom celebrate religious holidays as well.
Jesus called them out in Matthew 15:7

These people honor Me with their lips,but their hearts are far from Me.
They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.

Jesus' disciples said, “Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

Jesus offended! Just as people are offended today being told that their actions are sinful. It was one of the reasons the Jews plotted to put Jesus to death because he told the truth, and this applies secular religionists:

You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

[Anonymous]

I suggest you turn to sources other than the Christian Bible if you have any intention of understanding Jews. It was a poor source (about Jews) in the Ancient World and it says nothing about the way either civilization has evolved since. We have a completely different way of understanding ourselves, the world, and even the Divine than Christians do.