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Jewish Spiritual Parenting: Wisdom, Activities, Rituals and Prayers for Raising Children with Spiritual Balance and Emotional Wholeness
Become more insightful, inspired parents through Jewish spiritual wisdom. "While raising our three children, we learned a parenting that bringing up a child transforms us and transforms our world. We discovered that being parents is a spiritual journey that begins in an act of love and continues through intentional actions. The Holy One bequeaths to us minimally formed creatures, all potential, morally neutral. As parents we transform those children into compassionate, loving human beings. We become partners with God."
―from the Introduction Parenting has never been easy―but in a culture that encourages more screen time than face time, how can you make sure that your children stay connected to what really matters in life? In this guidebook for building a strong framework for a Jewish life, Rabbi Paul Kipnes and Michelle November, MSSW, reveal the spiritual wisdom they have learned and the hard-won parenting techniques they developed that shaped their children as individuals and their family as a whole. Together, they explore spiritually nourishing approaches to help you foster essential Jewish values like gratitude, joy and honesty in your children. Kipnes and November also share timeless teachings and spirit-filled activities, rituals and prayers that will help you cultivate strong Jewish values and cherished spiritual memories in your own family.
―from the Introduction Parenting has never been easy―but in a culture that encourages more screen time than face time, how can you make sure that your children stay connected to what really matters in life? In this guidebook for building a strong framework for a Jewish life, Rabbi Paul Kipnes and Michelle November, MSSW, reveal the spiritual wisdom they have learned and the hard-won parenting techniques they developed that shaped their children as individuals and their family as a whole. Together, they explore spiritually nourishing approaches to help you foster essential Jewish values like gratitude, joy and honesty in your children. Kipnes and November also share timeless teachings and spirit-filled activities, rituals and prayers that will help you cultivate strong Jewish values and cherished spiritual memories in your own family.
224 pages, Paperback
First published August 12, 2015
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34 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 25, 2016
I really liked this book. It was a great combination of practical suggestions to try, great anecdotes from the authors' own life parenting three children and good background on Judaism and Jewish values. It is a great resource for anyone parenting or those working with parents.
It takes our ancient tradition and gives us modern options to enrich our lives and the lives of our children--our families. As the authors said (one of whom grew up at Congregation Shalom in Chelmsford!), "While raising our three children, we learned a parenting secret: that bringing up a child transforms us and transforms our world. We discovered that being parents is a spiritual journey that begins in an act of love and continues through intentional actions."
Being intentional is what Judaism is all about. Helping our children learn to live intentionally is what parenting is all about.
It takes our ancient tradition and gives us modern options to enrich our lives and the lives of our children--our families. As the authors said (one of whom grew up at Congregation Shalom in Chelmsford!), "While raising our three children, we learned a parenting secret: that bringing up a child transforms us and transforms our world. We discovered that being parents is a spiritual journey that begins in an act of love and continues through intentional actions."
Being intentional is what Judaism is all about. Helping our children learn to live intentionally is what parenting is all about.
July 3, 2017
Judaism is all about making ordinary moments holy and giving them meaning. Ever since I can remember, my parents taught me that our only mission in life is to leave this world a little better than we found it. I later learned this is Tikkun Olam, or Repair of the World, a cornerstone of Jewish belief. Since becoming a father myself, it has become a primary focus of mine to pass on my Jewish heritage to my son, so he may reach is own spiritual understanding of our faith and pass this legacy on to future generations. And so, I was very excited to discover the book Jewish Spiritual Parenting by Rabbi Paul Kipnes and his wife, Michelle November.
Jewish Spiritual Parenting: Wisdom, Activities, Rituals and Prayers for Raising Children with Spiritual Balance and Emotional Wholeness is all about teaching our children how to find the sacred in everyday life through ageless Jewish wisdom that is as relevant today, as it was for our ancestors (maybe more!). Jewish concepts such as Tzimtzum (Divine expansion and contraction), L'dor Vador (from generation to generation), Shutafut (partnership) and B'tzelem Elohim (in the image of God) are creatively interpreted as guides for parents to instill a deep and meaningful Jewish identity in their children that will hopefully lead to their being better citizens of this world.
An aspect of this book that I find valuable is the fact that the authors draw upon their experiences as a rabbi and Jewish educators, but also as parents themselves. Each lesson incorporates not only Jewish philosophy, but related stories of how they incorporated this wisdom into the raising of their own children. Thus, readers are able to see first-hand examples for better understanding.
Read more on my author blog at http://www.samuelgriswold.com/authors... ...
Jewish Spiritual Parenting: Wisdom, Activities, Rituals and Prayers for Raising Children with Spiritual Balance and Emotional Wholeness is all about teaching our children how to find the sacred in everyday life through ageless Jewish wisdom that is as relevant today, as it was for our ancestors (maybe more!). Jewish concepts such as Tzimtzum (Divine expansion and contraction), L'dor Vador (from generation to generation), Shutafut (partnership) and B'tzelem Elohim (in the image of God) are creatively interpreted as guides for parents to instill a deep and meaningful Jewish identity in their children that will hopefully lead to their being better citizens of this world.
An aspect of this book that I find valuable is the fact that the authors draw upon their experiences as a rabbi and Jewish educators, but also as parents themselves. Each lesson incorporates not only Jewish philosophy, but related stories of how they incorporated this wisdom into the raising of their own children. Thus, readers are able to see first-hand examples for better understanding.
Read more on my author blog at http://www.samuelgriswold.com/authors... ...
May 16, 2017
Reflecting Jewish values to describe the experience and the goals of parenting. As a new parent, helpful to frame thinking.
Also, can see this book as an excellent resource for a parenting discussion group.
Also, can see this book as an excellent resource for a parenting discussion group.
November 17, 2017
Threw this book across the room a few times before I just started jotting notes and stickies; it was a synagogue assignment, otherwise I would have abandoned it in short order. The authors have a very, very particular idea of God and Judaism, and while they claim repeatedly throughout the book that other paths and concepts of God are just fine within the Jewish context (true), they are constantly contradicting this assertion; basically, If you don't believe in God, its probably because you don't know about all the many different ways that you can believe in God. They plainly assume that a lack of engagement with God in a spiritual context is "lesser". There is no representation of paths to Judaism that might be observant, but perhaps not spiritual in nature. And certainly no understanding of a Jewish path that doesn't have God as it's center. They assume that questioning God is far too complicated an undertaking for children (I would love them to meet my 6 year old!). As for their child-rearing and parenting advice, it is either painfully obvious stuff that most thoughtful people are surely doing, but which the authors seem to believe they discovered, or things that are probably applicable to non-differently-abled suburban families with multiple kids. The authors' presumption of the universality of their experience is arrogant, to say the least!
In some instances, I even found their perspective offensive. For instance, they share the letters that they wrote to their kids going off to college; and the ones to the boys talk about the need to be "gentlemen", and give them advice for approaching the world of work. The one to the girl is concerned with her spiritual well-being, and reminds her that she is beautiful more than once. (Of course, the ones to the boys don't mention their physical appearance)...and then, a little later, the authors are telling a "cautionary tale" about how their daughter, when she was young, was looking at herself in the mirror and then turned around to look at her tush. The authors are shocked and surprised at how she could possibly have picked up such values, to judge herself based on her looks like that, at such a young age! I did not share their surprise.
In another instance--possibly in the same letters--the authors tell their children not to allow themselves to held back by anyone who would hold them down based on their religion, age, gender, words to that effect. Frankly, that's not how I would teach children to be conscious of social inequities and confront them.
But, as with everything else in this book, it's obviously what works for the authors, and is presented as if it must be a universal truth. Perhaps that's the conceit of self-help books, and I'm just not aware of that because I don't normally read them? Maybe this is how people who do choose to read books like this prefer to be addressed, because it sounds authoritative, and they're looking for someone to tell them what to do? Me, I found it patronizing and arrogant.
I also suspect this is only a book for a certain brand of Reform Jew, who might appreciate the authors' very particular approach to Judaism. As a committed Reconstructionist, the book's frequent references to the "chosen people" and the Messianic age are wholly irrelevant. This plus the heavy handed emphasis on this particular concept of God and "spirit" reminds me why I quietly walked away from the Reform movement a long time ago.
For a guide to Jewish parenting, I'd say, stick to reading the texts. Judaism sure has some great ones.
In some instances, I even found their perspective offensive. For instance, they share the letters that they wrote to their kids going off to college; and the ones to the boys talk about the need to be "gentlemen", and give them advice for approaching the world of work. The one to the girl is concerned with her spiritual well-being, and reminds her that she is beautiful more than once. (Of course, the ones to the boys don't mention their physical appearance)...and then, a little later, the authors are telling a "cautionary tale" about how their daughter, when she was young, was looking at herself in the mirror and then turned around to look at her tush. The authors are shocked and surprised at how she could possibly have picked up such values, to judge herself based on her looks like that, at such a young age! I did not share their surprise.
In another instance--possibly in the same letters--the authors tell their children not to allow themselves to held back by anyone who would hold them down based on their religion, age, gender, words to that effect. Frankly, that's not how I would teach children to be conscious of social inequities and confront them.
But, as with everything else in this book, it's obviously what works for the authors, and is presented as if it must be a universal truth. Perhaps that's the conceit of self-help books, and I'm just not aware of that because I don't normally read them? Maybe this is how people who do choose to read books like this prefer to be addressed, because it sounds authoritative, and they're looking for someone to tell them what to do? Me, I found it patronizing and arrogant.
I also suspect this is only a book for a certain brand of Reform Jew, who might appreciate the authors' very particular approach to Judaism. As a committed Reconstructionist, the book's frequent references to the "chosen people" and the Messianic age are wholly irrelevant. This plus the heavy handed emphasis on this particular concept of God and "spirit" reminds me why I quietly walked away from the Reform movement a long time ago.
For a guide to Jewish parenting, I'd say, stick to reading the texts. Judaism sure has some great ones.
June 14, 2019
This book gave me insight into some of the issues my children might face in the future. I enjoyed how easy the book was to read and understand. I would definitely like to read this book again.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews