Susan is a friend of mine since childhood and while we were growing up she always invited me, the Catholic, to her Jewish family's celebrations. I attended various nights of Hanukkah and many Passover Seder dinners at her house that Susan's Uncle Kenny knighted me an Honorary Jew. He told me that after someone attends enough events with his family that by default they are Jewish-ish enough. He may have given me the honorary Jew title just because he wanted me to keep coming back to the Post Seder dinner poker games that I usually lost.
Susan still invites my family, more so my kids, to her house to celebrate and learn about Hanukkah with her daughter Estella. We have attended the past two years and the kids would exchange small gifts and my boys would get to light the Menorah and play Dreidel and eat chocolate "gelt" coins.
Last night Max told me that they were learning about Hanukkah in school.
"What did you learn about Hanukkah?" I asked.
"Nothing new." he said. "I already knew it all."
"Really?"
"Yeah, from Estella's house."
"Oh." I replied.
"Are there any Jewish kids in your class?" Lauren asked Max.
"No."
"How do you know?"
"The teacher asked if anyone in the class celebrated Hanukkah and I was the only one to say yes."
I laughed.
"The teacher asked if I was Jewish." Max added, "I told her no, but my friend Estella is, and that is where we celebrate Hanukkah."
I need to get Estella's Great-Uncle Kenny to knight Max.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
16 comments:
I would see skip spin two dradles at a time and hope they came out Four- Four.
Is Estella a Druish Princess?
Did Max light the Menorah with David Lee Roth?
That's awesome. I love that my kids attend a public school that doesn't try to pretend there are no religions (she is learning about Hannukah as well right now).
I went to Catholic school, and therefore knew nothing of any of it.
This is so what makes a peaceful world. When we learn about other peoples and cultures...accept, participate, and enjoy all of the customs that each has to offer. Knowledge brings such understanding. Whether you're 6 or 68 , sharing, accepting, and understanding play a big part in friendship and Peace. If all could be like YOU and SUSAN and your families, what a beautiful place this world would be! Happy Hannukah and Merry Christmas!
Anonymous you made my day! Laughter is a wonderful pick me up. Thanks for that! I will think of your comments all day and smile.
But did he get socks? My kids don't feel like it's Chanukah without socks for at least one gift. I had to run out yesterday and get them socks for last night!
This post made me happy.
Do you have a spare jigsaw puzzle?
I think it's fantastic! I need to move closer to my Jewish friends just so my kids can have that experience. Kids need to learn as much as they can about other people.
That's awesome. So great that people can be so welcoming. Love it.
Uncle Kenny's sexy when the sun goes down.
As an Honorary Jewish person, was there a ceremony like when someone gets an honorary degee?
The joy in true diversity lies in never watering it down to suit some sort of ridiculous politically correct "ideal" - which is kinda where society has ended up.
Then I read a delightful entry like this and my faith in humanity is restored. Jewish enough indeed!
A story to restore our faith in all faiths — from the mouth of a child :-)
I think that's pretty cool. This year I got a note sent home that for the last day of school before "winter break" they could choose to hear the book Polar Express (Christmas book, obs) or the book Ira Sleeps Over (Hanukkah book). It said nothing about either of the books except the titles, and there was no mention of Christmas ANYWHERE. Not even a holiday party. Anywho, I decided Nathan should hear the Hanukkah one. Let them think we're Jewish, I don't care. I care more about the dozens and dozens of Muslim and Hindu and Buddhist kids in our HIGHLY diverse school. In fact, I'd be willing to bet the Hindus outnumber the Jews 5 to 1.
/rant
I love it...now to go stew up some matzah ball soup.
Post a Comment