This one statistic always throws me for a loop: “only 20% of
our young families raising Jewish children in the Greater Palm Beaches have an
older generation living locally”. Hard to believe, but it’s true. Most of them
do not have their own mothers or fathers living close by. One would think with
the amount of residents over 50 in this community that this statistic would be
higher---but it is not.
So, what does this mean? It means that the older generation,
the ones who typically are the keepers of the family’s Jewish traditions,
recipes and customs are not here to pass them along. Sure, recipes can be
emailed and Skype sessions at holiday dinner time can take place, but the
reality is-- our local parents are on their own. Or are they?
Instead of this scenario creating a dearth of Jewish life
and celebration, quite the opposite seems to be to happening. Many local
parents without local family around have reached out to each other, creating their
own “new traditions” and forming groups to celebrate together and share customs.
Potluck holiday dinners and fun impromptu gatherings seem to be the solution.
There’s challah baking, groups going to services together, Break the Fast meals and lots of “celebrating”
happening. It may not be the same without grandma’s chicken soup or your
favorite uncle’s stories, but it is happening HERE.
I wonder what their next steps will be. How will our local families raising young
Jewish children continue to connect each other and to their Jewish community? Only
time will tell. I only hope they continue to take advantage of ALL this
community has to offer, here’s to a great 5774!
Friedman CJE’s calendar of events for Young Families Raising
Jewish Children: https://www.cjepb.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=184&Itemid=355
