Jewish families in towns with a small Jewish population?

My daughter will be starting kindergarten in September. Our neighborhood has a small Jewish population and I'm starting to worry...

If your child is one of a few Jewish kids in school, have they experienced any issues? How do you foster a Jewish identity when we're such a small minority?

Re: Jewish families in towns with a small Jewish population?

Have you joined a temple in a close town or look into going to some family events at a local temple?

We live in an area where there's a lot of Jewish families, but it is a good mix of others as well. My 3 yr old goes to a Jewish preschool at a local reform temple (the town next to us). My 5 yr old has always gone to public school bc he's been in the IEP program. He also goes to a K enrichment at a church. It's not run by the church, but they rent some classrooms and we love it, but he is the only Jewish kid there. He knows he's Jewish and the other kids aren't so when they see the Easter Bunny or Santa or wear green for St Paddy's he joins in just fine. He just knows he doesn't celebrate those holidays and the teachers uses it as a teaching experience to discuss what everyone celebrates.
Because he doesn't get as much exposure as his brother I try and take him to the temple's family nights. Tot Shabbat, Purim carnival, children services for the high holidays, etc. We get challah once in a while with my family and light the candles Friday night. He knows the blessing by heart. We are reform so not super religious, but nice to get him involved and see holidays can be fun.

Re: Jewish families in towns with a small Jewish population?

We haven't joined a shul yet; that's on the to-do list for this summer. There are two Reform synagogues in my area and we'll probably decide between those. I want to start lighting candles on Fri night too... I need my DH to get onboard with this. He's also Jewish but basically non-practicing....

TY!

Re: Jewish families in towns with a small Jewish population?

My neighborhood does not have a large jewish population. My daughter's hebrew school class has 4 kids TOTAL. She has had no issues in the public school with being jewish.

Re: Jewish families in towns with a small Jewish population?

Re: Jewish families in towns with a small Jewish population?

The big potential issues are school or events planned on the high holidays, & December and spring holiday inclusiveness. If they do a Christmas or Easter related craft or program do they also to Chanukah and Passover?

Re: Jewish families in towns with a small Jewish population?

I grew up on LI but in a town with very few Jewish families (I went to one other Bar Mitzvah other than my own and my brothers). My synagogue was a couple of towns away so I knew no one at Hebrew school, which did give me many positive memories of hebrew school or synagogue as a whole. After having DD, I was determined to not give her that experience. I now live in a town that is definitely not largely Jewish, but does have a more than I was used to (and particularly our elementary school has more Jewish families than many of the others). I insisted that we join the synagogue in our town and where we felt comfortable so that we and the kids want to spend time there. My DH was already a member in a synagogue about 25 mins away that he belonged to since childhood so it was a bit of a challenge. Ultimately, we switched so DD and my Step son could make connections more locally and have positive associations with the synagogue. It has helped us all. I am more connected to my Jewish identity than I ever was. My DD loves having a few familiar faces in her hebrew school class and my stepson has made friends even though he doesn't attend school in the district.
So my advice is to try and choose a synagogue where your kids feel comfortable and hopefully they know a few people. It makes a difference. HTH!