Dear Gefilte: How Do I Talk About God with My Kid When My Husband Is Atheist?

Dear Gefilte is Kveller's advice column
Dear Gefilte,

I grew up Modern Orthodox and have been through various stages of religiosity. I no longer practice, except to celebrate some traditions like holidays and cultural events. I married a secular atheist, though, who celebrates the same cultural Jewish milestones I do, but he is vehemently opposed to anything religious, especially the idea of God. I have never given up on the idea of God, or perhaps a benevolent being or “the universe” or something amorphous beyond our rationalist minds.

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Jewish Education in Early Childhood

The long-term value of early exposure to all things Jewish

By Caron Blau Rothstein for MyJewishLearning.com

Parents want the best for their children right from the start. Even while we are still pregnant, we are already seeking out the best pediatrician, the best hospital for our delivery, and the best items for our baby registry. At some point along the parenthood journey, however, Jewish parents will also explore the best Jewish aspects of childbirth and parenting.
Shalom Baby

Why start so early in a child’s life with Jewish involvement? Why not wait until religious school or summer camp, when your children are older and you can discuss their experiences with them?

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From Grandmother to Granddaughter, Passing Along Religious Traditions

When parents are absent or uninterested in spirituality, a grandparent often steps in

By Clare Ansberry, WSJ

Kathy Reveille began taking her granddaughter, Bianca, to church because no one else did.

Bianca’s mother was Catholic and her father was Baptist. They couldn’t agree on what church to attend so they didn’t go. “I really wanted to belong to a church. I didn’t care what kind,” says Bianca, who is turning 15 this week. She always felt she was missing something, she says. The absence became more pronounced after her father died.

“That’s when the big questions come up,” says her grandmother, Ms. Reveille. “I stepped into the gap.”

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YouTube Kids Is Google’s First App Designed for Children

New app gives parents more control over their children's YouTube browsing.

by D. Frank Smith, EdTechMagazine
One of the world’s most powerful online educational tools just got a new, kid-friendly package.

On Monday, Google released YouTube Kids for free on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. In a blog post on YouTube, the app is billed as "the first Google product built from the ground up with little ones in mind" and one that makes browsing the video site’s massive library safe and easy for kids.

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Reclaiming the Spark

 By Tzipi Sutin for jnmagazine.com
I have a confession: Shabbos isn’t so fun for me. During the week I’m busy taking care of my toddler, cleaning and organizing the house, preparing meals, running errands and helping grow a small doula business. By the time Thursday night or Friday morning arrives, I have very little energy left to put together a 4-course meal.

I tried for a while. I would stay up very late or wake up very early and make sure the house was just perfect and that each recipe was prepared with loving tenderness and deep kavanah. My husband didn’t like to make early Shabbos so I would try to keep my daughter up for Kiddush and Hamotzi but it didn’t always work, and if it did her sleep schedule was so twisted that the next day was awful.

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