 |
|
|
|
 Laurel Synder is raising her two sons Jewish, but not kosher.
April 13th, 2012
10:00 PM ET
My Faith: Raising religious (but not too religious) children
By Laurel Snyder, Special to CNN (CNN) - A few years ago I was invited to my local Jewish Community Center to do a reading of my picture book “Baxter, the Pig Who Wanted to Be Kosher.” It was going to be a child-friendly event, so I took my kids along. Now, “Baxter” isn’t really a book about being kosher. It’s about wanting to be accepted into a community. But I always like to make sure my listeners know what the word kosher means before I read it, since the joke at the center of the book depends on that. So as usual I asked the Jewish Community Center crowd if they could define the word. Before anyone else could answer, my own son Mose, who was 5 at the time, jumped up and shouted out, “I know! I know! Kosher is us! We’re kosher!” Then he sat back down again, beaming proudly. And I might have been proud too. Only, you see, we’re not kosher. On the drive home I tried to figure out what to say to Mose about his mix-up. I wanted him to know what it means to be kosher, to live by a rigid religious dietary code, day in and day out. But I also needed him to understand that we’re not. How could I show respect for this part of our Jewish tradition while also suggesting that it doesn’t seem relevant in our own household? Should I just blame it on my own parents, who didn’t raise me that way? CNN’s Belief Blog: The faith angles behind the biggest stories It’s not easy to explain something to a kid when you haven’t yet figured it out for yourself. One of the most helpful/terrible things about having children is that they require us to think things out explicitly. That often means they make us face the very things we’ve been avoiding. Sometimes, as a result, kids challenge us to become more mindful or observant. I hadn’t been a member of a synagogue for years when I became a mom. I hadn’t hosted a Passover Seder or found the time to light Shabbat candles. Even though I worked for a Jewish agency and wrote about religion professionally, when it came to my home life I was almost completely unobservant. Judaism was something I thought about more intellectually than personally. Religion was an interesting idea more than a belief system. Now I light candles each week and say the blessings. I belong to a havurah – a cohort of local Jewish friends who get together for monthly potluck dinners – and also a synagogue. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter Because there’s something about having kids that makes me want to be a better version of my Jewish self. I want something special to pass on to them. Something more than “You’re Jewish because I’m Jewish.” But sometimes the opposite is true. Sometimes my kids help me recognize the limits of my faith. In truth, I do not keep kosher and I don’t really want to. My husband is not Jewish, though we’re raising our family to be. So, yeah, we eat tacos for Shabbat dinner most weeks and usually skip Friday night services. This is the truth and I have to own it. I can only shift my life around so much without feeling inauthentic. Lying to my kids about my religious life is no way to model the value of faith. So when, after the “Baxter”/kosher fiasco, I set out to write my new picture book, “Good night, laila tov” (laila tov means “good night” in Hebrew), I wanted to paint an honest portrait of my largely secular household. I wanted my kids to recognize the family in my story as Jewish, but also as, well, like us. Which is to say, not exactly kosher. On some level I was reacting to the fact that most of the Jewish picture books in my home feel like they’re about someone else. They’re usually set in a Polish village a century ago, or on the Lower East Side of New York City, where mothers cook and fathers pray. I wanted “Good night, laila tov” to be a sort of lowest common denominator. Contemporary and universal. It’s not about Jewish history, and it doesn’t have a single rabbi in it. It won’t teach you new Hebrew words or show you how to say a certain prayer. It’s just a story about a Jewish American family going camping, experiencing nature, love, work and rest. In writing it I hoped to capture something typical, something natural, something simple. And it does present, to my mind, Jewish values: Nature is spiritual, and takes us beyond ourselves. Time spent with family is sacred. The family in the book plants trees and picks up their campsite, because caring for the earth is part of Judaism, I think. Along with caring for each other. But as I wrote, I found myself a little afraid that, in attempting to write a picture book for everyone, I was letting the Jewish particularity go. Aren’t family nature, and environmentalism tenets of faith beyond the Jewish world, in every religion? What did it say about me, my choices, my household, that the Jewish life I was choosing to depict looked like it could be any household at all? Then I come back around to that moment with Mose, that moment of realizing I’d somehow misled him. Because whatever I’m unsure of, whatever I don’t know about faith, I do know this: if it isn’t honest, it doesn’t count. The purpose of faith, as I understand it, is to infuse life with greater meaning. To make it more real. Not to dress it up. Not to pretend. My kids and I are on a journey together. We’re setting out for parts unknown. And while we may find ourselves changing as we trek along, there is a sacred quality in simply being who we are today. Of stopping on the trail and taking a deep breath. It’s enough, I think, to be exactly who we are, kosher or not. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Laurel Snyder. |
  About this blog
The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
|
|
|
Editor's note: 
Does your website have a contact page? I'm having a tough time locating it but, I'd like to send you an email. I've got some ideas for your blog you might be interested in hearing. Either way, great website and I look forward to seeing it expand over time.
Thanks a lot for providing indldivuais with an extremely brilliant chance to read critical reviews from this website. It's always very enjoyable and jam-packed with a lot of fun for me and my office mates to search your web site on the least 3 times weekly to read through the new things you have. Not to mention, I am just actually fulfilled with the eye-popping creative ideas served by you. Certain 3 ideas in this article are clearly the most efficient we have all had.
KKLA Sports Apparel Co., Inc (Football Jersey,Soccer Jersey,baseball Jersey,Basketball Jersey,Icehockey Jersey). Our company costnsis of design, develop, produce, sale and service. Now we have more than 6 professional factories for our own products. Professional QC for professional products and service.You can mix NFL MLB NHL NBA Jerseysdifferent styles and sizes. And there is no mini order for you, Lowest price and Best service. Let's be friends and business partner. Don't hesitate to contact with us if you need anytime. We can supply those all NFL MLB NHL NBA Soccer Teams,such as NFL Teams: Baltimore Ravens Jersey ,Carolina Panthers Jersey , Denver Broncos Jersey , Kansas City Chiefs Jersey, New England Patriots Jersey,New Orleans Saints Jersey ,Philadelphia Eagles Jersey , Seattle Seahawks Jersey , Washington Redskins Jersey,NHL Teams : Atlanta Thrashers Jersey ,Calgary Flames Jersey , Dallas Stars Jersey , Hartford Whalers Jersey , New Jersey Devils Jersey , New York Jets Jersey , Pittsburgh Penguins Jersey ,Quebec Nordiques Jersey , Washington Capitals Jersey, NBA Teams: Chicago Bulls Jersey, Indiana Pacers Jersey, Memphis Grizzlies Jersey , New Jersey Nets Jersey ,New York Knicks Jersey , Portland Trail Blazers Jersey ,San Antonio Spurs Jersey , Kobe Bryant Jerseys Jersey ,MLB Teams: Atlanta Braves Jersey , Detroit Tigers Jersey, Houston Astros Jersey , Los Angeles Dodgers Jersey , Philadelphia Phillies Jersey, San Diego Padres Jersey, Seattle Mariners Jersey ,Tampa Bay Rays Jersey ,Soccer Teams: AC Milan Jersey , Liverpool Jersey, Real Madrid Jersey, Brazil Jersey , Holland Jersey ,Mexico Jersey and so on
“Religion is something left over from the infancy of our intelligence, it will fade away as we adopt reason and science as our guidelines.” Bertrand Russell
Don't you love how Protestants are always fighting Mormons, Catholics fighting Protestants, or they all hate on baptists, or what have you.
Yeshua/Jesus made me Kosher. If you and your family were to receive Yeshua as Savior, that is He who atoned for your sins so that you can be in right standing with God the Father, then you would be Kosher indeed. May you truly learn what it is to be Kosher, and may the children of Israel come to their Messiah Yeshua HaMachiach so that they too can truly be Kosher before God. Shalom
Kindness
kindness
This is my experience... Thank you.
MY personal testimony.
A thought to consider without an ego response
I Accepted Jesus christ as my lord and saviour. You never know how soon is too late. Transcend the worldly illusion of enslavement.
The world denounces truth....
Accepting Jesus Christ (for me) resulted in something like seeng a new colour. You will see it .....but will not be able to clearly explain it to anyone else..... Its meant to be that way to transend any selfism within you.
Also... much the world arranges "surrounding dark matter into something to be debated" in such a way that protects/inflates the ego.
The key is be present and transcend our own desire to physically see evidence. We don't know anyways by defending our own perception of dark matter.
Currently.... most of us are constructing our own path that suits our sin lifestyle. Were all sinners. Knowing that we are is often an issue. But both christians and non are sinners. Even once we are saved by christs merciful grace we will still experience adversity to mold us to adhering to the truth.
We will slip... But not fall of the ship ...carrying us onward to perfection in christs grace.
We don't like to Let go and let god. We want control to some degree. This is what Jesus asks us to do. "Follow me".
It's the hardest thing to do... but is done by letting the truth of scripture lead you (redemptive revelation)... as I said .
Try reading corinthians and see if it makes sense to you. Try it without a pre conceived notion of it being a fairy tale.
See the truth...
do we do what it says in todays society... is it relevant... so many have not recently read and only hinge their philosophy on what they have heard from some other person...which may have been full of arogance pride or vanity..
Look closely at the economy ponzi, look at how society idolizes Lust , greed , envy, sloth, pride of life, desire for knowledge, desire for power, desire for revencge,gluttony with food etc .
Trancsend the temporal world.
Just think if you can find any truth you can take with you ....in any of these things. When you die your riches go to someone who will spend away your life..... You will be forgotten.... history will repeat iteslf.... the greatest minds knowledge fade or are eventually plagerzed..... your good deeds will be forgotten and only give you a fleeting temporary reward . your learned teachings are forgotten or mutated..... your gold is transfered back to the rullers that rule you through deception. Your grave will grow over . This is truth .
Trancsend your egoism and free yourself from this dominion of satan. Understand you are a sinner and part of the collective problem of this worldly matrix... Repent.... Repent means knowing (to change) The Holy spirit (within) will convict you beyond what you think you can do by yourself. Grace is given to those who renounce the world. That are" in" the world but not "of " the world.
Evidence follows faith. Faith does not follow evidence..... Faith ....above reason in Jesus Christ.
Faith comes by Reading or Hearing the word of god from the bible . Ask Jesus in faith for dicernment and start reading the new testament... You will be shocked when you lay down your preconceived notions and ....see and hear truth ... see how christ sets an example ... feel the truth....
Read Ecclesiastes. Read romans or corinthians.
You cant trancend your own egoism by adapting a world philosophy to suit your needs. Seek the truth in Christ.
Sell all your cleverness and purchase true bewilderment. You don't get what you want ....you get what you are by faith above reason in christ.
I promise this has been the truth for me. In Jesus christ .
Think of what you really have to lose. ...your ego?
Break the Matrix of illusion that holds your senses captive.
once you do . you too will have the wisdom of God that comes only through the Holy Spirit. Saved By grace through Faith. Just like seeing a new colour.... can't explain it to a transient caught in the matrix of worldly deception.
You will also see how the world suppresses this information and distorts it
You're all smart people . I tell the truth. Its hard to think out of the box when earthly thinking is the box.
I'ts a personal free experience you can do it free anytime . Don't wait till you are about to die.. START PUTTING YOUR TREASURES WHERE THEY REALLY MATTER >
Its awsome and It's just between you and Jesus
my testimony
Romans 10:9
"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved
Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith’s door,
And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime;
The, looking in, I saw upon the floor
Old hammers, worn with beating years of time.
“How many anvils have you had,” said I,
“To wear and batter all these hammers so?”
“Just one,” said he, and then with twinkling eye,
“The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.”
And so, thought I, the anvil of God’s Word,
For ages skeptic blows have beat upon;
Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard,
The anvil is unharmed – the hammers gone.
Truth is..exclusive
"Lying to my kids about my religious life is no way to model the value of faith."
Well said. If more religious parents thought like this, children wouldn't go through as much confusion.
KKLA Sports Apparel Co., Inc was established in 2000 in ZeJiang, China. Now it has 12 bacnrh companies around China. We are a worldwide wholesaler of Sports Apparel (Soccer Jersey,Football Jersey,baseball Jersey,Basketball Jersey,Icehockey Jersey). Our company consists of design, develop, produce, sale and service. Now we have more than 6 professional factories for our own products. Professional QC for professional products and service.You can mix MLB NFL NBA NHL Jerseysdifferent styles and sizes. And there is no mini order for you, Lowest price and Best service. Let's be friends and business partner. Don't hesitate to contact with us if you need anytime. We can supply those all NFL MLB NHL NBA Soccer Teams,such as NFL Teams: Atlanta Falcons Jersey , Chicago Bears Jersey ,Dallas Cowboys Jersey , Jacksonville Jaguars Jersey ,Miami Dolphins Jersey , Oakland Raiders Jerse,Philadelphia Eagles Jersey , St. Louis Rams Jersey, Washington Redskins Jersey,NHL Teams : Buffalo Sabres Jersey ,Calgary Flames Jersey , Detroit Red Wings Jersey ,Edmonton Oilers Jersey , Nashville Predators Jersey , New York Jets Jersey , Phoenix Coyotes Jersey , San Jose Sharks Jersey , Washington Capitals Jersey, NBA Teams: Chicago Bulls Jersey, Golden State Warriors Jersey ,Los Angeles Clippers Jersey , New Orleans Hornets Jersey, Orlando Magic Jersey, Portland Trail Blazers Jersey ,San Antonio Spurs Jersey , Kobe Bryant Jerseys Jersey ,MLB Teams: Boston RedSox Jersey, Cleveland Indians Jersey , Florida Marlins Jersey , Milwaukee Brewers Jersey ,New York Mets Jersey ,Pittsburgh Pirates Jersey ,San Francisco Giants Jersey ,Tampa Bay Rays Jersey ,Soccer Teams: Chelsea Jersey, Juventus Jersey , Real Madrid Jersey, 2011-2012 National Jersey ,England Jersey , USA Jersey and so on
c34fI wish to show some appreciation to the wrteir just for rescuing me from this type of incident. As a result of searching through the world wide web and seeing tips which are not powerful, I thought my entire life was done. Existing without the strategies to the issues you have solved through your entire posting is a crucial case, as well as the ones that might have negatively affected my entire career if I had not discovered your blog post. Your primary competence and kindness in touching all things was useful. I am not sure what I would have done if I hadn't encountered such a step like this. I can at this point look ahead to my future. Thanks so much for the high quality and amazing guide. I will not hesitate to recommend the blog to any person who should receive guidance on this subject matter.16