Raising Young Children at Beth El

by David Hoffer

We joined Beth El in 1999 as a 30-ish couple, before we had children. At the time, we found Beth El a unique spiritual community for ourselves, and we felt strengthened by the wide variety of practices and observances that the congregation embraced.

When our daughter was born in 2001, and then when our son was born in 2005, the rabbi and cantor were at our house to officiate at the naming ceremony and bris, respectively. The congregation joyfully welcomed them at services shortly thereafter. In a longstanding tradition, members of the congregation are invited to offer a blessing when a new child is brought into the community, and we heard the now-familiar refrain: “May s/he grow up to be the rabbi of this congregation!”

While neither has applied to rabbinical school yet, our children are certainly growing up with Beth El as their second home. Both of them attended the Beth El Preschool, where the warmth of the teachers and the intimacy of the environment strengthened their Jewish identity. It also reinforced their comfort and sense of belonging, and Beth El was the first place outside of our home where we felt comfortable letting them wander around the building without supervision. They felt – and still feel – like they own the place!

While much of our life at Beth El currently revolves around our children and their activities – Tot Shabbat (Preschoolers Shabbat program), Kehillat Noar (Community of Youth), Purim carnivals, and the like – we see glimpses of our Jewish life to come. Torah study groups, adult education programs, all-night Shavuot study sessions, and evening social events all beckon to us. We look forward to reinvesting in our Jewish growth in parallel with our children, as they develop their own Jewish identities.