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Shalom Bayit in Cincinnati |
 Linda Kean, second from left, gathers with a few parents and their children after class at the Alan R. Mack Parents Center of Jewish Family Services. |
by Diana King Everyone wants shalom bayit, a peaceful home. The parents gathering in a classroom at Cincinnati's Northern Hills Synagogue on Sunday mornings are growing closer than most to achieving this goal. They are taking time out from busy schedules to participate in an Active Parenting Today for Jewish Families class where they are learning parenting skills and Jewish principles that contribute to harmony at home. |
| "The program helps people see parenting through Jewish eyes by incorporating stories from the Torah and Jewish activities," says Linda Kean, the class leader and coordinator of the Alan R. Mack Parents Center of Jewish Family Service and a former synagogue religious school principal. "For example," she explains, "we
discuss the story of Exodus (the Jews' flight to safety
from Egypt) and how children develop courage and
self-esteem. We talk about our home as Abraham's tent-a
place of open, respectful, and positive communication. As
the classes progress parents begin thinking about their
parenting style and examining their family life in
relation to Judaic values such as kavod, respect, and
tikkun olam, repairing the world by reaching out to
others.
Family enrichment activities, such as writing letters of encouragement to each child after the second session, serve to reinforce the class discussion. Sitting down to write an encouraging message helps a parent look for shlichut, the divine spark or uniqueness, in their child. Kean adds, "when we focus on tikkun olam, or repairing the world, we examine the ways children contribute to their family and community. This helps parents to step back and take a look at each child as an individual." The curriculum, based on the Active Parenting Today program by Dr. Michael Popkin, was developed by Rabbi Phil Miller and Einat Bronstein of the Helene Mirowitz Department of Jewish Life of the Jewish Community Center of St. Louis. The B'nai B'rith Center for Jewish Identity and the Jewish Federation of St. Louis funded development of the program. Jenny Wolkowitz, a mother of two who participated in the St. Louis pilot program, recalls, "I thought it would be difficult to make the time to attend, but by the second week I was hooked. The class has given me a framework to help make our home more cooperative, respectful and fun." For more information about Active Parenting Today for Jewish Families, call 800-825-0060 or click on the link. Reprinted from Leader magazine. |
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Vol. 6, No. 1 | Vol. 5, No. 2 | Vol. 5, No. 1 | Spring/Summer 1999 | Winter / Spring 1999
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