tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34150549.post7483298306344234810..comments2023-04-04T09:29:30.819-04:00Comments on New Jewish Education: Should Religious School be Cancelled on Halloween?Saul Kaiserman (thinkfred)http://www.blogger.com/profile/07072524572244310450noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34150549.post-31264161541950555312011-10-31T16:54:18.508-04:002011-10-31T16:54:18.508-04:0010/31 Update: We had a total of 16 kids join us f...10/31 Update: We had a total of 16 kids join us for school today; about ten more took advantage of the Sunday option. So that's about 1/3 of the total Monday population that ended up attending. <br /><br />We did get a few excellent responses from parents who didn't want to send their kids today, but also had conflicts for Sunday morning. My favorite: "[My husband] is taking [our daughter] to her first Giants game that day. For [him], watching and participating in sports is a sort of religious experience, if that counts, he hopes to pass on to [our daughters]."Saul Kaiserman (thinkfred)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07072524572244310450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34150549.post-66437553341747092792011-10-28T19:02:33.339-04:002011-10-28T19:02:33.339-04:00Was browsing CNN.com and found this piece. Apparen...Was browsing CNN.com and found this piece. Apparently we're not the only people who struggle with Halloween. Interesting complement to your words!!<br /><br />http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/10/28/the-christian-debate-over-halloween-counter-co-opt-or-just-let-it-be/?iref=allsearchSara Shapiro-Plevanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16714383456895376327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34150549.post-49141416913742542322011-10-28T15:00:54.626-04:002011-10-28T15:00:54.626-04:00Two more great responses that I've learned abo...Two more great responses that I've learned about for this coming Monday: One school will be studying the value of "hachnasat orchim" ("hospitality" or "welcoming guests"); another, taking advantage of the fact that this week's Torah portion includes the story of Noah's ark, is having the staff dress as animals.Saul Kaiserman (thinkfred)https://www.blogger.com/profile/07072524572244310450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34150549.post-16938644569220106382011-10-24T23:11:12.098-04:002011-10-24T23:11:12.098-04:00Saul, thanks for sharing this. A few years ago, I ...Saul, thanks for sharing this. A few years ago, I contributed something to a conversation on MixedMultitudes, and I'm sharing it here. I originally (long before I wrote this, and not mentioned in this piece) shared the perspective of the traditional rabbi represented here, but the more deeply connected I feel with the reality of our learners and their families, and the need to root our choices in what is meaningful and relevant to them, I can't help but think that we make a mistake in not choosing this as an opportunity to frame it in some kind of Jewish perspective. Not that we would teach Halloween, but that we would frame the experience in Jewishly resonant themes and texts, and that there is what to learn from this below the surface.<br /><br />http://www.myjewishlearning.com/blog/holidays/should-jewish-children-trick-or-treat/Sara Shapiro-Plevanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16714383456895376327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34150549.post-48463247491970036382011-10-24T15:00:21.874-04:002011-10-24T15:00:21.874-04:00As I spend more time in the field I tend to embrac...As I spend more time in the field I tend to embrace the secular holiday in a way that helps students (of all ages) view/celebrate/participate through a Jewish Lens. We had declining attendance year after year due to the Super Bowl - so I invited everyone to wear their favorite jersey and then led a special Assembly/Tefillah that highlighted famous Jewish athletes and acknowledged the blessing of a body that can move in miraculous ways. We shouldn’t compete – we should contextualize! Humble opinion!Melissahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11655009226019147386noreply@blogger.com