DS attends Jewish preschool. Wants to celebrate Jewish holidays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not Jewish but my spouse is and we celebrate the holidays with DD. DH is not very religious but likes preserving cultural traditions. Even so, you cannot really separate religion from the holidays. Honestly, even celebrating with my family I feel a little awkward singing prayers I do not fully understand or believe in. I think it would be very, very strange to just start celebrating religious holidays for a religion that is not yours. It's not a game, you know?

Especially when Jews have been enslaved, murdered, and persecuted for our religion throughout history and today.

Once again, my CHILD wants to celebrate. I have no desire. We aren’t religious.

I mean, kids want to do lots of things we don't let them.

[Anonymous]

Surely you foresaw this would be a problem, OP.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not Jewish but my spouse is and we celebrate the holidays with DD. DH is not very religious but likes preserving cultural traditions. Even so, you cannot really separate religion from the holidays. Honestly, even celebrating with my family I feel a little awkward singing prayers I do not fully understand or believe in. I think it would be very, very strange to just start celebrating religious holidays for a religion that is not yours. It's not a game, you know?

If your DH is culturally Jewish your children are not and you are appropriating a culture.

If he's singing prayers, he's more than culturally Jewish.

[Anonymous]

If you’re non-Christian and celebrate Christmas you really should shut up about non-Jews celebrating any Jewish holidays.

If you aren’t Christian stop appropriating a CHRISTIAN holiday. If you can’t take the culture or flaccid seriously you shouldn’t celebrate it. It’s not fun and games.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not Jewish but my spouse is and we celebrate the holidays with DD. DH is not very religious but likes preserving cultural traditions. Even so, you cannot really separate religion from the holidays. Honestly, even celebrating with my family I feel a little awkward singing prayers I do not fully understand or believe in. I think it would be very, very strange to just start celebrating religious holidays for a religion that is not yours. It's not a game, you know?

If your DH is culturally Jewish your children are not and you are appropriating a culture.

If he's singing prayers, he's more than culturally Jewish.

He is Jewish his wife and children are not and should not be celebrating unless they all convert.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Surely you foresaw this would be a problem, OP.

I guess I should have known better. I guess we’ll withdrawal him from the school he’s gone through for 3 years that gladly accepted him knowing we weren’t religious because we don’t practice Judaism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not Jewish but my spouse is and we celebrate the holidays with DD. DH is not very religious but likes preserving cultural traditions. Even so, you cannot really separate religion from the holidays. Honestly, even celebrating with my family I feel a little awkward singing prayers I do not fully understand or believe in. I think it would be very, very strange to just start celebrating religious holidays for a religion that is not yours. It's not a game, you know?

If your DH is culturally Jewish your children are not and you are appropriating a culture.

This is not true, unless you are Conservative or Orthodox.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Surely you foresaw this would be a problem, OP.

I guess I should have known better. I guess we’ll withdrawal him from the school he’s gone through for 3 years that gladly accepted him knowing we weren’t religious because we don’t practice Judaism.

You’re being purposefully obtuse.

There’s zero problem with sending him to a JCC. There is a problem with doing religious things like lighting a Menorah without any acknowledgment of the religious aspect to them.

You can play dreidel with him, eat challah, and eat apples/honey. These are not religious things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not Jewish but my spouse is and we celebrate the holidays with DD. DH is not very religious but likes preserving cultural traditions. Even so, you cannot really separate religion from the holidays. Honestly, even celebrating with my family I feel a little awkward singing prayers I do not fully understand or believe in. I think it would be very, very strange to just start celebrating religious holidays for a religion that is not yours. It's not a game, you know?

If your DH is culturally Jewish your children are not and you are appropriating a culture.

This is not true, unless you are Conservative or Orthodox.

So you enjoy cherry-picking the Torah?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not Jewish but my spouse is and we celebrate the holidays with DD. DH is not very religious but likes preserving cultural traditions. Even so, you cannot really separate religion from the holidays. Honestly, even celebrating with my family I feel a little awkward singing prayers I do not fully understand or believe in. I think it would be very, very strange to just start celebrating religious holidays for a religion that is not yours. It's not a game, you know?

If your DH is culturally Jewish your children are not and you are appropriating a culture.

This is not true, unless you are Conservative or Orthodox.

So you enjoy cherry-picking the Torah?

Seriously? Please just stop. Stop acting like I’m the only one who feels this way; the Reform movement is the fastest-growing movement within Judaism, in part because of jerks like you, who choose to be unnecessarily exclusive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you’re non-Christian and celebrate Christmas you really should shut up about non-Jews celebrating any Jewish holidays.

If you aren’t Christian stop appropriating a CHRISTIAN holiday. If you can’t take the culture or flaccid seriously you shouldn’t celebrate it. It’s not fun and games.

OK, sorry, but "if you can't take the flaccid seriously" is one of my favorite autocorrects I've ever seen here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you’re non-Christian and celebrate Christmas you really should shut up about non-Jews celebrating any Jewish holidays.

If you aren’t Christian stop appropriating a CHRISTIAN holiday. If you can’t take the culture or flaccid seriously you shouldn’t celebrate it. It’s not fun and games.

OK, sorry, but "if you can't take the flaccid seriously" is one of my favorite autocorrects I've ever seen here.

Same. I'm laughing out loud

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you’re non-Christian and celebrate Christmas you really should shut up about non-Jews celebrating any Jewish holidays.

If you aren’t Christian stop appropriating a CHRISTIAN holiday. If you can’t take the culture or flaccid seriously you shouldn’t celebrate it. It’s not fun and games.

Millions of people around the world are going to continue to celebrate Christmas secularly, with secular Christmas songs and Santa and stockings and trees and more, whether or not you give your permission. Feel free to continue to whine about it, I guess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am not Jewish but my spouse is and we celebrate the holidays with DD. DH is not very religious but likes preserving cultural traditions. Even so, you cannot really separate religion from the holidays. Honestly, even celebrating with my family I feel a little awkward singing prayers I do not fully understand or believe in. I think it would be very, very strange to just start celebrating religious holidays for a religion that is not yours. It's not a game, you know?

Especially when Jews have been enslaved, murdered, and persecuted for our religion throughout history and today.

Once again, my CHILD wants to celebrate. I have no desire. We aren’t religious.

I mean, kids want to do lots of things we don't let them.

+1

Nothing wrong with a child wanting to celebrate. We are simply explaining why it would be wrong for you to allow it (agree that celebrating with Jewish friends in their home is perfectly fine)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Surely you foresaw this would be a problem, OP.

I guess I should have known better. I guess we’ll withdrawal him from the school he’s gone through for 3 years that gladly accepted him knowing we weren’t religious because we don’t practice Judaism.

Of course you shouldn't withdraw him because some posters on a forum are telling you that you're doing something wrong.

Buy some books about Jewish holidays. Read with him, learn about them, make it fun. Sing some Jewish songs. I wouldn't light candles, but you can certainly play the dreidel on Chanukkah. You wouldn't celebrate the Jewish new year, but you could eat some apples and honey together. I am sure that would satisfy his curiosity. Keep explaining to him that you believe X, but his friends at preschool believe Y.

- Jewish woman married to a non-Jewish man, with kids in a Jewish preschool.