What gift are you giving your children this Chanukah?
This time of year can be challenging for Jewish parents. Many of your child’s friends are participating in non-Jewish holiday parties and celebrating a holiday that is foreign to us. Children invariably want to be part of it; they want to participate in the celebration. It looks exciting, alive. They want to be able participate in the Nutcracker performances and tree lighting ceremonies; they want to get presents under a tree just like their friends do.
Some parents wring their hands in despair, unsure how to react. Although hard to admit, you are uncomfortable with your child/ren celebrating Christmas... but at the same time you don’t want to deprive them of their fun.
I think this time of year gives parents a special benefit, a unique opportunity that at other times in the year has to be sought. It is the opportunity to give your children a special gift - pride in their heritage.
When your child asks to participate in a non-Jewish holiday celebration or performance, explain to them why as Jews we don’t celebrate these holidays. Tell your children of the special heritage that they have and how Jewish people have survived throughout the ages only by preserving their heritage, instead of forgetting it.
Setting a limit based on an untouchable standard rather than a constantly shifting position will give your child important tools for life. When you, as a parent, chooses to raise your child/ren in a proactive manner, rather than passively watching them grow older, this is the best gift you can give your child. This provides them with a moral backbone that will help them say no to drugs, look for the appropriate life partner and make the right decision in so many other situations which parents can sometimes only hope their children will choose wisely.
Instead of allowing (or encouraging) your child to participate in The Nutcracker or any other Christmas celebration, give them the gift of their very own heritage. A gift that has been preserved throughout the ages - through thick and thin...
...Just for them!