Community Blog Beyond Hebrew School – Jewish learning as adults

My wife and I signed up for Parenting Through a Jewish Lens not really knowing what to expect. We hoped to meet other families in the community and learn some Jewish parenting tips, and the course met those goals for sure.

What surprised us was how much we learned about modern Jewish perspectives regarding topics like death, literal vs. spiritual belief in God, and kindness. We found ourselves wondering why our Hebrew School educations a few decades ago were so focused on learning the Torah trope and had so little discussion of what it means to be Jewish in everyday life!

Our instructor Rabbi Hillel Greene recommended several books that we have read in the month since our course ended. And perhaps most important of all, a fellow parent’s suggestion that we amp up the excitement of having grape juice in a special glass has made Friday night Shabbat blessings a much more positive and regular (because our son demands them) part of our weekly family life.