Reply to PSA: Please do not host a Christian seder

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We aren't Christian (raised Catholic, both now agnostic) but our kid goes to a Jewish preschool and they've been talking about Passover all week. So we're going to do a little Passover seder at home tomorrow so we can all learn a little more about it.

It's not a "Christian Seder" and we aren't inserting Jesus into it at all. More just a way to learn about the tradition and for our kid to apply some of what she learned at school in a respectful way. She knows we are not Jewish, but that her school is Jewish and that some of the people there (including her teachers and the rabbi who comes to visit on Fridays for a small shabbat celebration they do) are.

Anyway, not asking for permission, just noting that there are reasons non-Jewish people might celebrate passover in a way that isn't automatically disrespectful. But yes, I can see how trying to claim the seder as a Christian tradition is disrespectful.[/quote]

Why not see if you can go to one of her classmate’s homes? I understand COVID makes that difficult, but after the pandemic ends that would be a better way of learning about it, than trying to do something you’re not familiar with.[/quote]

PP here. We have lots of Jewish friends and during non-Covid times we absolutely would attend a celebration at a friend's home, or within the school community, if invited. But because of Covid that's obviously not an option this year and my kid is asking about it because of what she has heard and learned at school. I've never attended a seder but have attended shabbat many times in friend's homes (both reform and even occasionally conservative) and have been to many Jewish weddings and attended related services. So I'm not coming at it from a totally ignorant perspective.

And I'm not talking about doing the prayers or anything. I'm talking about reading a children's book about passover, discussing some of the traditions and why it is an important holy day for Jewish people (while reiterating that we are not Jewish and we are not play acting at being Jewish) and then discussing it. While also making a meal with some traditional Passover food since that will help it feel more real for her.

The point of my post is to say that it's okay for people to be curious about and express an interest in Judaism. It's not automatically anti-semitic or proprietary. I get how these "Christian Seders" are proprietary and can be insulting. And of course it's best to learn from someone who is actually a member of the religion but that's not always possible. Not just because of Covid. I have family who live in parts of the country where there are no synagogues and they may not meet any Jewish people. I think they should be allowed to read a book about Judaism with their kids and talk about these traditions in an open way, both to satisfy curiosity but also to help teach that there are many kinds of people in the world and it's important to be respectful and understanding. Education is a really important part of tolerance.

I think some of the posts in this thread may make people feel that just learning about Judaism is bad unless you are Jewish or are learning directly from a Jewish person (which puts a lot of pressure on Jewish folks, especially in communities where they may be one of only a few!). Instead, maybe recommend books or resources that you think are good ways for a non-Jewish person to learn and become more educated about it. There are ways to encourage tolerance and learning without condoning people aping your sacred traditions.[/quote]

nobody ever said you couldn’t read a book about Judaism with your kids. come on.

if you legitimately want to learn about Judaism [b]how about listening to what people are actually saying here to understand why a “Christian seder” may be offensive to some Jews[/b]. [/quote]Why don’t you show her the respect of reading what she wrote. Her initial message specifically states she is NOT having a Christian seder. [/quote]

she’s a non-Jew doing “a little Passover seder at home.”  [/quote]
And she explained exactly what it was she was doing, to which other posters responded that reading a book is not a big deal. So you are just arguing to argue at this point. Got it.[/quote]

I’m the poster who said reading a book is fine. It is. Having a Seder isn’t.[/quote]

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