WTH?!?!?!? I mean I aint got nothin against Jews and their "thing" they do when CHristians do their "thing".....We have Christmas, they have Hanakkuh....but if my kid cant pray, how come he has to make that candle thingy for Hanakkuh?
2007-12-06 12:59:01 · 38 answers · asked by ssshhhh cause I said so™ 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
it IS A HANAKKUH candle.....and im NOT crying about it...they took praying out of the school because of the whole separation of church from state....does that not ALSO Include the synagogue?
2007-12-06 13:06:17 · update #1
It's some BS ain't it? What ever happened to "Merry Christmas", now it's "Happy Holidays"....a load of crap if you ask me. Everyone uses "Christmas" to sell their crap, however, they don't show it any respect. What is the world coming to?
Merry Christmas to you and yours!!
2007-12-06 13:07:32 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 7⤋
Only you know your children and whether or not they are ready for school. Sometimes parents homeschool for the early years or when schooling has broken down. Some even have a part time schooling where the child goes to school on certain days. What matters is it is right for you and your children. Have a look around at the resources online and in the shops, see if there are other families locally that homeschool. Socialising can be an issue but, remember that once they leave school very few of their friends will be their age. Homeschooled kids can be more outgoing. On a positive note - your children will have the benefit of a class size of two - that means they will get much more work done than they would at school. You can see immediately if they have a problem. Why not try it out during the holidays? Get some resources for their level, decide what your goal for the time will be (read the first book in the set confidently/ recognise shapes and colours) and give it a go! If you find it too much, you can still send them to school when term starts. Be firm on when it is "school time" and enjoy your children's early years. Have a great time and don't worry - you can learn ahead of them so you're never stuck.
2016-04-07 22:40:42 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't they make Christmas related projects as it gets closer to Christmas Day? Since Hanakkuh just started and is still going on I can see how they would be doing Hanakkuh activities now. However if they don't do any activities like this for Christmas later in the month, THEN I'd be pissed. Just wait and see, and if they don't give Christmas as much attention as Hanakkuh got, give 'em hell!
2007-12-06 13:04:31 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
First, there's no such thing as Hanukkah candle, unless it's stuck with a menorah. Candles are a generic "holiday" item. And how do you know they wont bring home Xmas trees closer to Xmas? My goodness, I think you really are overreacting.
Secondly, your kid can pray in school all he wants. The teacher cannot prevent him from doing so--but he can't make him do it either. It only becomes a problem if your kid starts trying to convert other people's kids and the like; THAT is the law. So yes, I definitely think you're overreacting. This is part of the reason teachers can't lead prayer. The second they lead any prayer besides yours, people go beserk. Your kid will probably bring a paper tree home closer to Xmas. It IS Hanukkah right now, whilst Xmas is not for another what, three weeks??
2007-12-06 13:52:51 · answer #4 · answered by LadySuri 7 · 3⤊ 1⤋
You are mistaken. Your child can pray all they want. The law only stops the schools from organizing, promoting, or requiring anyone to pray. As far as making Hanakkuh candles, I'm sure the school also has the kids draw Christmas pictures, or make wreaths, etc.
2007-12-06 13:05:22 · answer #5 · answered by ndmagicman 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
As a Jew, I agree. They shouldn't be making Channukah candles as Jews have maintained the spiritual significance of the event. As a Jew, I might even fight this myself for another reason.
The reason the christmas decorations are allowed is the Supreme Court has ruled that christmas trees and the like are of no religious significance. This should concern you more.
By making Hannukkah candles in school, it is lumping Hannukkah in with christmas. It cheapens Hannukkah. I would say very plainly, Hannukkah has spiritual significance to Jews. The supreme court has ruled that christmas decorations have no spiritual significance. By allowing a Menorah in the school. they are making the statement it has no spiritual significance.
It's far more inspiring for people to see the candles burning brightly in my dining room window while we eat supper together as a family.
By the way, I'm also not in favor of a Menorah on public property for the same reason. G-d forbid people should turn Channukah into another form of christmas.
Shalom,
Gershon
By the way, there is a passage in the christian book that says the person they worship went to the temple for Channukah.
2007-12-06 21:00:26 · answer #6 · answered by Gershon b 5 · 8⤊ 0⤋
Your child can pray in school, no one is punishing them, Plenty of people at my school pray and no one cares. The no prayer in school thing is when teachers say "Bow your heads and pray" or say that all of the kids have to pray in the moment of silence..
The school will also teach about the Christmas story and Kwanzaa. It is part of school curriculum to explain holidays.
Look at your school rule sheet and see if it says "No Praying," if it doesn't. tell him he can pray, but not while the teacher is teaching or there is an assignment to be done,I guess.
Most kids don't want to pray on their own, because it means they would have to stop playing and learning.
So he can pray if he wants to which he probably doesn't, if he is at the candle making age. He is making candles because they are learning about holidays and it is Hanukkah this week
Tell me if they don't teach about Christmas sooner or later.
2007-12-06 13:13:37 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
So are you saying there's no Santa Claus-themed stuff, no tree, nothing like that? Because unless that's the case, you have no right to b*tch about some candles. If it IS the case that there is Chanukah stuff, but nothing Christmas-y, you may have a genuine double-standard. That being said, just because they have Chanukah candles or dreidels or latkes doesn't mean they understand any of the history or meaning behind any of those things. It's probably more like "ooh, look at the pretty candles," and making candles is probably a slightly more generic, less innocuous arts-and-crafts activity than say, making a crucifix.
That being said, while I can understand reasons people might want to keep all things religious out of our schools, I still think it's a load of crap. As long as the activity is not a part of the school curriculum, and is not obligatory upon the students, people should be free to do what they want. Non-Christian parents should instill their children with a solid enough set of values that the allure of a little tinsel and some new toys isn't going to persuade them to convert.
Proselytization in our public schools is absolutely unacceptable, but I'm with you inasmuch as I "ain't got nothin against Jews doing their 'thing' and Christians doing their 'thing'". People are just way too uptight these days. Tell you what - I'll admit that a lot of Jews (ironically, the not-so-religious ones) seem to have sticks up their butts when it comes to this sort of thing, if you'll admit that the so-called "War on Christmas" is complete bullsh*t.
Enjoy your "candle thingy".
PS: Lady Suri is actually right - a candle is a candle, and candles are generic holiday items. Unless they were in a menorah, or unless the teacher specifically called them "chanukah candles" - well, there's nothing that makes any given candle more Chanukah-y than another. In fact, the preferred fuel for lighting a menorah is olive oil.
PPS: For more ranting on all the PC holiday nonsense we see nowadays, check out my answer to this question - http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=Av96M75ci4RAMNZZ._ZEoGbty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071202121642AAzUEVx&show=7#profile-info-POfR4v6laa
PPPS: I see a lot of answers coming from people talking about how Christians are being persecuted left and right. Perhaps I should pray for you? :P
I actually discuss this at length in my holiday rant (see the above link). So, for you folks, in particular the one guy who proposed that it was time for an "uprising" (against what - the powers that be not? An uprising is when the oppressed rebel against the dominant group - in case the non-stop flood of Christmas music, merchandise, TV products and decor that surrounds us in America from before Halloween hasn't made it obvious enough for you, YOU'RE the dominant group, dumbass!), and anyone clueless enough to think like him, an excerpt from my rant (again, go to the link and read it all if you want the full effect):
Some Christians today complain of a "War on Christmas," where they feel that politcal correctness compels people to say "happy holidays" when what they want to say, or what they want to hear, is Merry Christmas. G-d save these poor American Christians, the most affluent group in the most powerful nation on the face of the earth, from the ravages of the war being waged against them. Granted, I’ve never heard of someone having his house blown to pieces by a laser-guided bomb for wishing someone a Merry Christmas, but they’re calling it a “war,” and war is hell, so these poor folks must be suffering unimaginable horror. The fact that they go on being Christian in a country where Christians only form 80% of the population must take a lot of courage...
...Seriously though, you think you know what it means to be oppressed? Feh! Vhat do you know from oppression? You haven’t been oppressed since pre-Catholic Rome. Ever since Constantine, you’ve been the oppressors. (I don’t have a beef with the Christians of today, I don’t hold the sons accountable for the sins of the fathers – I’m merely pointing out that attempts by Christians to show themselves as downtrodden are, well, hilarious). Many Christians are just dying to be martyrs (no pun intended), so they’ll raise any issue they can to show that they are being attacked for their beliefs. Trust me, when you’re being oppressed, you’ll know. Call me when a group of ACLU lawyers spray paints blasphemous remarks and death threats on a church. Or how about this – when liberal secularists start engaging in inquisitions, crusades, and pogroms against you, then you can kvetch to your heart’s content. Until then, you don’t know a damn thing.
---
Now I guess the question becomes if *I'm* overreacting.
2007-12-07 04:42:08 · answer #8 · answered by Daniel 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My kids go to a public school in a small Texas town. Each year the kids in each grade make craft projects depicting baby Jesus, angels, and crosses. Since I am an Agnostic, this bothered me at first. I've decided to view it as just another thing I will have to re-explain to them when they are older. I have to choose to see it as just a side of the story they are going to be exposed to. If I go to their school and stir things up, I will make pariah's out of my kids. Unfair, but I'm a realist about what kind of community we live in. Nothing done by teachers or the school administration can overpower my influence in the home.
If you want your children to use prayer, in school or elsewhere, by all means encourage it. I wish that church and state were actually separate, but we all know better. But don't worry yourself too much about it. Your influence is what will shape them, and as long as it is clear and strong it will greatly overshadow anything else they encounter.
2007-12-06 14:21:29 · answer #9 · answered by Mandy--relatively harmless 6 · 6⤊ 0⤋
Personally i dont think kids should pray at school because not everyone worships the same God/thing. no one wants to be offended. But from my perspective they are just learning about other cultures and opening there eyes to the outside world beyond just theres. worlds other than just having to think everyone is christian and celebrates a certain holiday. i think your overreacting just a little.
2007-12-06 13:06:41 · answer #10 · answered by Jamie 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
at my childrens school they don't make religious art activities...
They will sometimes learn about religions, but it's in the context of certain historical figures and it's just brought up that it was their belief....it's not pushed on the students and many different religions will come up. But no prayer is required and no making of hanukkah items.
If it concerns or bothers you then you should speak with your child's teacher.
2007-12-07 03:09:06 · answer #11 · answered by Jane 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋