Celebrate the “Jewish Arbor Day,” which begins on January 19 at sundown, with your grandchildren. For ideas how to celebrate the holiday with your interfaith grandchildren including crafts, food and environmentalism, check out the new Grandparents Circle Tu B’Shvat resources here!
JOI’s Associate Executive Director Paul Golin was interviewed by Lisa Robbins of Let My People Know, a Tampa-based Internet news publication, to discuss the changing nature of “Who is a Jew” in America. Watch the interview here.
While the secular New Year is right around the corner, the Jewish New Year of the Trees is also coming up on January 19. Learn more about how to celebrate here and check back soon for more Tu B’Shvat resources on the Grandparents Circle website!
Hanukkah starts December 1 at sundown. To help you celebrate with your grandchildren, the Grandparents Circle website provides recipes, craft ideas, and more here!
Thanksgiving, with its masses of food and themes of family togetherness and gratitude, is an American holiday with particularly strong Jewish resonance. For a Jewish Outreach Institute take on how to express your gratitude this holiday season, click here and here to read articles by our Executive Director Rabbi Kerry Olitzky.
The Grandparents Circle is back on Facebook! We have a brand new Grandparents Circle Facebook page, and we hope you will join our group. Please check the facebook for Grandparents Circle related news and resources.
The Jewish harvest festival of Sukkot begins on Wednesday, September 22 at sundown and lasts until Wednesday, September 29. During this holiday, Jews often eat outdoors in temporary booths, or sukkot, in remembrance of the harvest season in the Israel and of the 40 years of wandering in the desert. For ideas on how to celebrate this holiday with your grandchildren, including stories, recipes, and more, visit JOI’s “How We Celebrate Sukkot” page here.
Grandparents Day is on September 12th this year. Founded in 1973 by Marian McQuade, a housewife in Fayette County, West Virginia, this holiday seeks to honor the wisdom and contributions of grandparents. In honor of the occasion, we have created a card that celebrates grandparents’ efforts to nurture the Jewish identity of their grandchildren. Please feel free to pass the card along to anyone that you think might enjoy it.
(click on the thumbnail to print a full-sized version)
The High Holidays are rapidly approaching, and JOI would like to help you get ready! Click here for some fun craft and activity ideas that you and your grandchildren can share for a sweet and happy New Year!
Show your children-in-law of other backgrounds your appreciation by sponsoring a message of love and support in the new Mothers Circle cookbook. Learn more about the project here.