Symposium // Is There a "Jewish" Way to Parent?

Washington, DC, May 3, 2016

MOMENT MAGAZINE

Symposium // Is There a “Jewish” Way to Parent?

Debbie Wasserman Schultz

Of course there is a Jewish way to parent. I am a Jewish mother before anything else; nothing is more important to me—it’s part of everything I do. Even though I didn’t have a very religious upbringing, my parents recognized the importance of Judaism. They educated me in my Jewish heritage, history and values, and that education helped prepare me to work to make the world a better place. My parents emphasized tikkun olam and focused on the need for us to give back to the community. Although I had a secular Jewish upbringing, my parents wanted me to marry a Jewish guy. I’ve tried to give my children those same traditions and values. I decided to bring my children up to be more traditionally religious than how I was raised because I feel this is important to Jewish continuity and will help strengthen the Jewish community.

Debbie Wasserman Schultz represents Florida’s 23rd Congressional District and is the chair of the Democratic National Committee. She lives in Weston, FL, with her husband and three children.

http://www.momentmag.com/symposium-is-there-a-jewish-way-to-parent/