Jewish Spiritual Parenting

Michelle November, Paul J. Kipnes

Description

Spiritually nourishing approaches to help you become more insightful, inspired parents and raise soulfully engaged children. Kipnes and November share their hard-won parenting techniques and spirit-filled activities, rituals and prayers to help you cultivate strong Jewish values and cherished spiritual memories in your own family.

Sujets

• Vie de famille
• Parentalité et Éducation des Enfants
• Rituals
• Philosophie et théologie
• Judaism
• Religion
• Practice

Informations

• Publié par: Turner Publishing Company
• Date de parution: 21 août 2015
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781580238496
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Praise For Jewish Spiritual Parenting: Wisdom, Activities, Rituals and Prayers for Raising Children with Spiritual Balance and Emotional Wholeness
An invaluable resource for parents who are concerned not only with their children s success, but with their souls.
- Rabbi David Wolpe , Max Webb Rabbi, Sinai Temple, Los Angeles; best-selling author, Teaching Your Children about God
Engaging and spiritually motivating.... A must-read for clergy, parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone charged with the holy task of nurturing young souls.
- Rabbi Ilana C. Garber , Beth El Temple, West Hartford, Connecticut; blogger, ilanagarber.com
With warmth, candor, Jewish insight and practical wisdom, Paul Kipnes and Michelle November show us all how to be better parents. By reminding us that both childhood and parenting are spiritual journeys, they illuminate a path toward wholeness for us all.
- David Stern , senior rabbi, Temple Emanu-El, Dallas
A wonderful resource for people striving to raise their children with Jewish values and traditions in our materialistic, me-centric society.... A very helpful guide at many levels.
- Joanne Doades , author, Parenting Jewish Teens: A Guide for the Perplexed
Gently encourage[s] the reader to explore the myriad ways of infusing parenting with moments of deep meaning.
- Rebecca Einstein Schorr , co-editor, The Sacred Calling: Forty Years of Women in the Rabbinate ; blogger, This Messy Life ( rebeccaeinsteinschorr.com )
A wonderful, idea-packed, practical guide for shaping a spiritually alive Jewish family. The perfect gift for parents and grandparents looking to bring joy and meaning, blessings and kisses into the home.
- Dr. Ron Wolfson , Fingerhut Professor of Education, American Jewish University; author, The Best Boy in the United States of America: A Memoir of Blessings and Kisses
Inclusion is a value that the entire Jewish community must practice-in its synagogues, schools, camps and community organizations. Paul Kipnes and Michelle November have been leaders on this issue in their community and we can all learn from their example of acceptance and inclusion.
- Jay Ruderman , president, Ruderman Family Foundation
Paul Kipnes and Michelle November share their decades of wisdom on our most sacred work as parents-raising our children.... They live it, breathe it, teach it. Their children are the greatest testimony.
- Ruben Arquilevich , executive director, Newman Center for Year-Round Engagement
With rare wisdom, gentle love and humor, Paul Kipnes and Michelle November turn parenting into a spiritual adventure. This book is a blessing to a new generation of families. I will joyfully share it with new parents and grandparents.
- Rabbi Edward Feinstein , author, Tough Questions Jews Ask: A Young Adult s Guide to Building a Jewish Life
Insightful, uplifting and filled with lots of practical tips.... It should sit right next to Dr. Spock on the nightstand.
- Dr. Kerry M. Olitzky , executive director, Big Tent Judaism / Jewish Outreach Institute; author, Introducing My Faith and My Community: The Jewish Outreach Institute Guide for the Christian in a Jewish Interfaith Relationship
This book is a gem. The authors serve as your warm, wise and candid guides to a stunning range of Jewish wisdom for the here and now.... Learn and enjoy.
- Dr. Wendy Mogel , author, The Blessing of a Skinned Knee: Using Jewish Teachings to Raise Self-Reliant Children
An invaluable guide for parents seeking to raise spiritually resilient and grounded children.
- Rabbi Rick Jacobs , president, Union for Reform Judaism
There are many how-to books on the market, but few address how to nurture a soul.... A provocative, honest and practical guide for cultivating the soul. It is a gift to all of us who care about the spiritual imagination of children.
- Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso , author of many award-winning children s books, including God s Paintbrush
Offer[s] a powerful blend of useful information, insightful questions and concrete practices that meets each of us where we are and takes us where we want to go.
- Carla Naumburg, PhD , author, Parenting in the Present Moment


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To our parents,
Linda and Ken Kipnes
&
Teri and Murray November,

who between them, bequeathed to us:

compassion
authenticity
gratitude, and
a sense of humor.

Your love made us the people and parents we are today.

Contents
Introduction
Part 1 Building Foundations for Spiritual Parenting
1. Searching for Spirituality
Fostering Ruchaniyut in Our Children s Minds and Hearts
Try This: Do You Believe in God?
Revisit Your Jewish Spirituality Inventory
Engage in Jewish Spiritual Life Sharing
Go God-Shopping
2. Partnership, Pluralism, and Peace
Shutafut as a Spiritual Parenting Strategy
Try This: Do a Parenting Inventory
Compose a Parenting Vision Statement
Set Your Jewish Spiritual Parenting Goals
3. Holding Them Close, Letting Them Grow
The Tzimtzum of Spiritual Parenting
Try This: Establish Your Own Innovative Communication Rituals
Use Car Talk Communication Tactics
Engage in Carpool Listening Without Interfering
4. Transmitting Our Heritage Through the Generations
The Spiritual Significance of Mishpacha and L dor Vador
Try This: Encourage Grandparents to Bless Their Grandchildren
Coach Grandparents and Older Family Members to Connect
Build a Sukkah and Gain Perspective
Clarify Expectations for Grandparent Time
Test These Interfaith Grandparenting Tips
Promote Sacred Storytelling
5. Truths We Know
Sharing Emet with Our Children
Try This: Write Your Own Ethical Will
Enlighten Your Child s Life Passages
Write Letters at Times of Transition
Part 2 Practicing Spiritual Living for Spiritual Growth
6. Living Holy Lives
Kedoshim Tiheyu at Bedtime, at Wake-Up, and Throughout the Day
Try This: Say Shehecheyanu Together
Sing Modeh Ani as a Morning Ritual
Begin a Blessing Practice
Create a Gratitude List
Set Your Daily Kavannah (Intention)
Develop Powering Down Rituals
Sing Bedtime Songs and Prayers
7. Each Child Is Unique
Embracing B tzelem Elohim
Try This: Play the Messianic Age Game
Adopt a Spiritual Practice of Blessing Others
Identify Your Child s Learning Preferences
8. Caring for Body, Mind, and Spirit
Strengthening and Preserving God s Gift with Shmirat HaGuf
Try This: Give Thanks for Our Bodies
Enjoy Shabbat-like Menucha (Rest) During the Week
Practice Simple Yoga Poses Together
Restore Your Spirit Through Friendship
Bless Real Beauty
9. Reframing and Decision Making
Empowering Our Children to Explore Alternatives Through Davar Acher
Try This: Detect the Blessing Within the Curse
Move from Need to Want
Examine Your Own Decision-Making Process
Decide Who Gets to Decide
10. Opening Our Hearts with Kindness
Instilling Chesed and Gemilut Chasadim into Everyday Life
Try This: Encourage Disability Inclusion in Your Jewish Community
Teach Your Child to Be Welcoming
Combat Bullying by Telling Your Children They Matter
Let Your Children Know You Love Them Always
Interact with Other Intermarried Families
Connect with Other Multicultural and Multiracial Families
11. Living Joyfully
Finding Simcha at the Center of Life
Try This: Play the Jumping for Joy Game
Bless Candles, Grape Juice, Your Family, and Challah
Surprise the Child Who Loves Surprises
Engage in Mindful Holy Days
Elevate Chanukah Eight Times
Dedicate Each Chanukah Candle to Others
Acknowledgments
Notes
Suggestions for Further Reading
About the Authors
Copyright
Also Available
About Jewish Lights Publishing
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Introduction
Children are a heritage of God; the fruit of the womb is a precious reward.
-Psalm 127:3
Michelle: I m Sorry, Mom
Each year, Paul and I serve on camp faculty at the Union for Reform Judaism s (URJ) Camp Newman in Santa Rosa, California, our family s summer home since our children were young. At camp, our children flourished as campers and now as counselors.
One day, I walked into the chadar ochel (dining hall) just before lunch and saw our son Daniel, a counselor-in-training, with his head in his hands. Just three days after his campers had arrived, he looked exhausted. Our conversation was precious.
Mom: What s up?
Daniel: Mom, I m really sorry.
Mom: For what?
Daniel: For everything!
I smiled broadly. As counselor for the youngest and most energetic campers, Daniel was exhausted from supervising these wonderful, rambunctious boys. My heart simultaneously broke at his shattered spirit and soared at his newfound understanding. While Daniel quickly bounced back, his words of apology stayed with me long afterward. Daniel s appreciation for the all-encompassing, nonstop responsibilities that we parents carry on our shoulders made me feel g