You're overthinking this. Do you have any hobbies or other activities to keep you occupied during the day?

These projects are awkward. I have a Jewish last name but wasn't raised religiously, and I was asked several times in elementary school to give presentations about the holidays my family celebrated (which my family did not celebrate). I gave the presentations anyway (my dad helped tell me what to say) with a certain amount of uneasy feeling, knowing it wasn't true.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But maybe meeting a nice Jewish little girl and seeing her as a person will help those kids who are raised differently?

mebbe. DCUM is divided on "using the kid to do social engineering" Personally I would much rather send my kid to a school full of kids with lower test scores, where her presence might help the academic achievement of poor kids, then send them to a school where she is the poster Jew.

And how is sending your kid to school with low performing kids going to help their academic achievement?

It won't, but it might well beat the trauma of being the poster Jew. Plus it might give them social experiences and insight that is helpful to them later in life, and there is plenty of evidence it won't hurt their academic achievement. My point though it making your kid the poster Jew to influence the perceptions of other kids is just as much using your kid to do social engineering as sending a kid to a school with lower test scores. Just that people are maybe more attuned to the great schools race, than to Jewish identity.

I am with you, OP. I wish schools would just leave religion out of the classrooms. Especially when you have teachers who have no business talking about these things. My daughter’s elementary class had a similar exercise and she was told by her teacher that there was no way she was jewish, because she celebrated christmas. now the reality is that we have multiple faiths in our family background. i am sure religious scholars will debate what we are because of what we celebrate or don’t - but bottom line is that no public school should be doing it. just leave religion out.

i grew up knowing nothing of other religions and ended up marrying someone of a much different background. i count close friends from multiple religions. i’ve even gone with them to their houses of worship because i wanted to learn. i think i ended up fine despite not “being exposed to differences”. it’s not the public school’s job to focus on these things. i also fear what agnostic or atheist kids must feel. i highly doubt these teachers are recognizing their viewpoints.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
But maybe meeting a nice Jewish little girl and seeing her as a person will help those kids who are raised differently?

mebbe. DCUM is divided on "using the kid to do social engineering" Personally I would much rather send my kid to a school full of kids with lower test scores, where her presence might help the academic achievement of poor kids, then send them to a school where she is the poster Jew.

And how is sending your kid to school with low performing kids going to help their academic achievement?

It is always hard to be the one to represent like this.

These projects and many like them, assume that our children are all sweetness and light filled with openminded Inocense, while also assuming they have an adult's maturity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m afraid OP is a troll. Jews can travel to Arab countries. Jews can work in most Arab countries. We can’t go to Mecca but I’m not sure non Muslims can, period. I’ve been to multiple Arab countries and lived in one. It is best to not get your passport stamped if you go to Israel, but otherwise I am free to travel.
There are restrictions on Israelis but that’s for nationality (which yes, in this case happens to generally overlap with religion).

The Israel stamp story is a myth. https://andreasmoser.blog/2012/08/23/israeli-passport-stamp/

Did you actually read the post? It says that some Arab countries will not allow you in if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport.

This has been true for many years. I lived in Iran back in the 70s and even then, which was a relatively modern time compared to now, you couldn't have an Israeli stamp. Oddly, you could be Jewish, and there was a reasonably large Iranian Jewish population.

Israel does NOT stamp your passports. Hasn't for a while now. So no need to worry about going there and then to an Arab country.

https://new.goisrael.com/FAQ

Huh. When did they make the change, I wonder? My sister went to Israel on a Birthright trip in the early aughts. A couple years later she joined the Peace Corps and was sent to Morocco, and she had to get a new passport so the Israeli stamps wouldn't be there. She was also cautioned not to let anyone know she was Jewish.

Op, email the teacher and say that you do not want your child participating in the interview. Done.

I think it would be really funny if they did my kid. He knows nothing of religion, does not believe in God and we watch a youtube video on how to light the candles.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m afraid OP is a troll. Jews can travel to Arab countries. Jews can work in most Arab countries. We can’t go to Mecca but I’m not sure non Muslims can, period. I’ve been to multiple Arab countries and lived in one. It is best to not get your passport stamped if you go to Israel, but otherwise I am free to travel.
There are restrictions on Israelis but that’s for nationality (which yes, in this case happens to generally overlap with religion).

The Israel stamp story is a myth. https://andreasmoser.blog/2012/08/23/israeli-passport-stamp/

Isnt it fun when someone posts a link that shows the opposite of what they think it shows?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m afraid OP is a troll. Jews can travel to Arab countries. Jews can work in most Arab countries. We can’t go to Mecca but I’m not sure non Muslims can, period. I’ve been to multiple Arab countries and lived in one. It is best to not get your passport stamped if you go to Israel, but otherwise I am free to travel.
There are restrictions on Israelis but that’s for nationality (which yes, in this case happens to generally overlap with religion).

The Israel stamp story is a myth. https://andreasmoser.blog/2012/08/23/israeli-passport-stamp/

Did you actually read the post? It says that some Arab countries will not allow you in if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport.

This has been true for many years. I lived in Iran back in the 70s and even then, which was a relatively modern time compared to now, you couldn't have an Israeli stamp. Oddly, you could be Jewish, and there was a reasonably large Iranian Jewish population.

Israel does NOT stamp your passports. Hasn't for a while now. So no need to worry about going there and then to an Arab country.

https://new.goisrael.com/FAQ

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Public school. I am sharing my discomfort anonymously to get varying viewpoints and to challenge my own beliefs about it or decide if I feel like my concerns are valid. No, I haven't spoken to the teacher. I understand the purpose of the assignment. I don't believe in jumping in calling the teacher every time she does something that i might not feel comfortable with unless it is major. I just wanted to get other views on it and bounce my thoughts around.

I think that the teacher should have run it by you, and any other parents, first. Kids shouldn't feel like they need to be the ambassador for their faith or tradition, particularly not when they come from a historically marginalized group. It puts kids on the spot, and contributes to "othering" in which some kids are set apart from others.

I agree. I put on my big girl pants and do it when asked but I don't even love being the token Jew as an adult. But I do it, and give presentations at my kids' school.

Asking parents to come in would have been a great alternative. Even better, put out an open call to parents who would like to share something from their tradition. Our school did an "International Week" activity where parents came in and gave a short presentation during morning announcements. It was volunteer-based and beneficial for all the kids, without making children feel like tokens.

Anonymous wrote:OP, I see that you are upset about current politics and events but he best thing you can do for your DD is not to burden her with your fears. Be impartial and let her have her own feelings and experiences.

She might be a little less upset if she was even slightly better informed.

OP, I see that you are upset about current politics and events but he best thing you can do for your DD is not to burden her with your fears. Be impartial and let her have her own feelings and experiences.

HIGHLY inappropriate. There are plenty of good videos and storybooks to cover different religions. No child should be singled out.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Public school. I am sharing my discomfort anonymously to get varying viewpoints and to challenge my own beliefs about it or decide if I feel like my concerns are valid. No, I haven't spoken to the teacher. I understand the purpose of the assignment. I don't believe in jumping in calling the teacher every time she does something that i might not feel comfortable with unless it is major. I just wanted to get other views on it and bounce my thoughts around.

I think that the teacher should have run it by you, and any other parents, first. Kids shouldn't feel like they need to be the ambassador for their faith or tradition, particularly not when they come from a historically marginalized group. It puts kids on the spot, and contributes to "othering" in which some kids are set apart from others.

I agree. I put on my big girl pants and do it when asked but I don't even love being the token Jew as an adult. But I do it, and give presentations at my kids' school.