Path to Confirmation

Last night the Path to Confirmation students discussed how we see Judaism, as a people, a religion, or as something else. You may find this essay by Avraham Infeld useful for discussion with your teen. https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/who-is-a-jew-peoplehood-versus-religion-2/

We also began watching a lovely documentary, “Doing Jewish,” which you can watch with your family on Amazon Prime. It is the story of a young Canadian filmmaker, Gabrielle Zilkha, and her discovery and research into a Jewish community in Ghana, its origins, and the people who are part of it. Personally, I found it fascinating and moving, and I hope you will too.

We talked about what connects Jews to other Jews, and what traditions that this Ghanaian community follows that dovetail with traditions of Jewish communities all over the world (rest on Sabbath, keeping kosher, circumcision, family purity, prayers).

At the end of class, we met with the confirmation class to learn some Hebrew vocabulary and play a “Vegetable Salad” game with Ariela.

For next week, we will have a shortened session due to a “Maccabiah Game” activity with the rest of the school. I plan to tie up the diversity unit with a conversation about diverse food, music, and holidays in the Jewish community.

Shavua tov, Morah Judy