RussianMixKids

 This overlooked area is the area of Informal or Cultural Education, and in our case, Jewish Cultural Education. Finding information about Jewish Educational opportunities for children beyond offerings by religious institutions might be a daunting task for parents. For Russian-speaking parents it becomes even more complicated, once we add our multi-layered Russian-Jewish identities, our collective history of anti-Semitism and our fierce atheism, to the mix and sprinkle it with warm memories of our grandparents’ stories, Yiddish tunes and numerous Rabinovich jokes.  So, what is this elusive concept of Informal and/or Secular Jewish Education and what do we do about it?  Informal Jewish Education is defined by several key aspects: 

• It is Experiential – education based on children’s experiences, rather than behind the desk learning. Finding out new information through role-playing games, learning by doing.
• It is about Questions, and not Answers – children advance their knowledge and understanding of important concepts by analyzing and questioning, expressing their own perspective on the subject matter, instead of being spoon-fed the answers
• It is deeply rooted in a Group experience – group dynamics become a catalyst for the learning process, and children learn through social interaction and are energized by their peers in addition to the information itself

 For Russian-Jewish parents there are two more important factors:

• It is Jewish Education that is Cultural and not Religious in nature – it takes the intellectual approach, appeals to reason more so than mere belief, talks about History, Literature, Art and Theater
• It is Relevant – it strives to create personal connections between children and the material they are learning, drawing from common heritage and family stories, helping children relate to complicated concepts

 So, what options are out there to start engaging Russian-Jewish children in the kind of Jewish Education that is interesting, accessible and non-threatening at the same time? Find a local Jewish Organization that offers experience-based Jewish education:

• An immersive Jewish experience at one of  Jewish Overnight camps (to find the  camp in your area go to www.jewishcamp.org, apply for $1,000 incentive grant for first time campers @ www.onehappycamper.org ), where children will create a Jewish community of their own, complete with their own traditions, history and language, while enjoying the outdoor sports, making friends and having fun.
• An afterschool, a Sunday  or a Day Camp program at your local Jewish Community Center (to find your local JCC go to www.jcca.org) where your child can participate in putting on a musical or compete in Maccabiah (Jewish Olympics, taking place on both local and international levels)
• A youth group, like Young Judaea (www.youngjudaea.org ) or a social action project, that allow children live out the Jewish values of Repairing the World (Tikkun Olam), while learning and making a difference.

 Bring Russian-Jewish Heritage to life together with your children:

• Build a Family Tree, complete with pictures and family stories and include your children in the research and creation process, strengthening their knowledge of the family history and how it fits into the tapestry of the history of Russian Jews pre and post Soviet Era
• Check out Marc Chagall exhibit at the Jewish Museum (www.thejewishmuseum.org), read Shalom Alechem’s children’s stories, or visit the Lower East Side Tenement Museum  (www.tenement.org)
• Put a smile on a face of an elderly Russian senior by visiting them as a family and hearing their life story (www.dorot.org)

 

The options become more plentiful and exciting as we become more intentional in the kind of Jewish Education we choose for our children.