Question for those who are Jewish by ethnicity but not religion?

Question

Hi! My husband's family is partially Jewish in ethnicity and had relatives killed at Auschwitz during Hitler's regime but we have lost touch with any remaining Jewish family members.

We are Christians, but would like to help our children understand their Jewish heritage. In particular, is there a way to celebrate/commemorate holidays such as Hannukkah or other holidays without converting to Judaism?

Are there any websites you can suggest?

Answer 1

Besides a lot of other GREAT suggestions, I may suggest you do a web search for the name "Elie Weisel" I hope the spelling is correct.

He was a well known Nazi war criminal hunter. He has, since, established a famous foundation and museum to foster education and tolerance, world-wide.

In fact, I think it is called the Elie Weisel Museum of Tolerance. The museum provides a lot of material for schools to use to help teach tolerance and to educate students about our failures in the past. These materials are written for various school levels, including for those very young children.

Most of the materials I have seen for school-age children do not seem to focus on the holocaust as much as they describe how many races have felt the hatred of others.

It's too bad that people like "NamesAreMuchTooConfining" have to show their intolerance by falling back on strict dictionary definitions, and by denying blood ties as part of one's heritage. Does anyone else see the irony in that screen name?

Congratulations on your intention to promote this connection to your children's heritage. People of many faiths, including Christians recognize the importance of the past on our conditions of the present.

Answer 2

Rather than trying to recreate a Jewish holiday in your Christian home, it may be more educational for your children to participate in the real thing.

Do you have any friends or coworkers who are Jewish?

If so, you might want to ask if they'd be willing to invite you to their home for one of a holiday celebration.

FYI:

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is October 4.

The next major Jewish holiday is Chanukkah, the Festival of Rededication (also called the Festival of Lights) which begins December 16.

The most sacred holiday is Passover, which begins April 3, 2007. It celebrates an event leading up to the exodus of Jews from slavery in Egypt. According to the Bible, God punished the Eqyptians by killing the first-born son in every Egyptian household. But he passed over the homes of the Jews, sparing their children.

There are other Jewish holidays. For a list, with dates, see http://www.jewfaq.org/holiday0.htm. (Because the Jewish faith uses a 13-month lunar calendar, the dates vary from year to year. In the Jewish calendar, this is year 5766.)

Answer 3

it somewhat is large which you're taking the time and care to furnish your daughter the precise answer. And it somewhat is it: we are *no longer* an 'ethnicity': - there are Jews of ALL ethnicities Nor are we a 'race': - nevertheless some human beings nonetheless attempt to declare we are So what are we...? As Jews, we are a *family members*. We began that way, with Abraham and his descendants. in the present day we are a greater, international family members, sure by using the comparable tribal regulations that we've been from the commencing up. - we are *additionally* a faith. people who convert into Judaism, are 'accompanied' by using the Jewish family members, and that they are then one hundred% Jewish. desire that facilitates :) EDIT TO *make clean* different solutions given: A Jew who joins yet another faith, will become an Apostate. basically like Muslims/Hindus/Xians replace into Apostates in the event that they leave THEIR faiths. Re Israel: every physique, of any faith, can word for Israeli citizenship. 30% of Israelis = NON JEWS some human beings listed below are becoming to be perplexed with the Israeli regulation OF return: The 'regulation of return' is a ruling that ANY Jew who needs/desires to, can circulate to Israel and immediately replace right into a citizen. This ruling stepped forward as a *direct* results of the slaughter OF Jews in WW2. For the needs of defining the regulation Of return and who it applies to, Israel says that anybody with ONE JEWISH grandparent, could hire the regulation Of return. it somewhat is not any distinctive to many different worldwide places, alongside with Germany and likewise many Muslims countries, who've their own variations of this.

Answer 4

I think it is wonderful to find someone else that does the same thing I do for my children. See we am also Christians, yet my dad passed away and he practiced Jewish religion. I have all his books and teachings. So i am teaching my children both religions as well as understanding the others as much as possible. I don't have them baptized just because I believe in freedom of speech. Bless you and your family. This site helped me and my children understand a lot more.

Answer 5

Of course, just like some Jews celebrate Christmas and Thanksgiving without becoming Christians. There are many good books that explain the holy days and holidays of our people. The old Testament, especially Leviticus is a great help. Shalom.

Answer 6

My dad's Catholic, my mom's Jewish, and my sister and I were raised with morality, but not attached to a particular religion. Every December we put up a Christmas tree as well as a Menorah. My parents explained the significance of both to us.

We also went to church on Easter Sunday as well as went to a Seder (Passover dinner).

Hope this helps! :)

Answer 7

best thing to do is make some jewish friends...most are happy to invite you to holiday celebrations. We exclude no one at the holidays! L'chiam!

Answer 8

I'm sorry, but your kids aren't jewish. One's status as Jewish is passed from mother to child, not from the father. If you want to do something "jewish", then respect judaism by not confusing your children with a mistaken notion of being jewish.

Answer 9

oh, you can celebrate whatever holidays you wish if it's done in order to teach them. how strange, that your question was just for people like me; i'm a secular humanist or an atheist, but i do celebrate the jewish holidays and identify as jewish. i'm also an israeli, so this is easier for me than it is for you.

holocaust-related sites
http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/
http://www.ushmm.org/
http://www.yadvashem.org/

holiday-related sites
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_holiday
http://www.chabad.org/holidays/default.asp
http://urj.org/holidays/jcal/index.cfm?
http://www.ou.org/holidays

judaism for beginners
http://www.jewfaq.org/index.htm

i hope that helped!

Answer 10

http://www.jewfaq.org
http://www.judaism.com

I took a class in History of Religion and had to do outside research because the prof strayed too much from class lectures.