The Role Grandparents Play in Teaching Jewish Traditions and Values
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- Published on Monday, 19 August 2013 07:00
If you have attended an event at a Jewish preschool or day school recently, you have no doubt noticed many older faces in the crowd. Grandparents play an ever increasingly important role in their grandchildren’s lives. They aren’t just attending school programs as a devoted grandparent. Instead, they are picking up grandchildren from swim class at the Jewish Community Center or dropping them off for piano lessons.
More than ever before, grandparents are assuming caregiving roles. That shift is happening for many reasons.
Among them are:
The increasing costs of child care
Two-career households
The fact that people are living longer
Grandparents who are retired have the time to play an active role in nurturing their grandchildren. That includes being a positive Jewish role model for them.
The relationship of grandparent to grandchild is a unique one by its very nature. Grandparents are free from the daily responsibilities of raising a grandchild, but close enough to have influence on their values and beliefs. It is truly a lead by example role.
This lead by example relationship can happen even from long distances. Many Jewish Community Centers report that children’s memberships are being paid for by grandparents in greater numbers. It is a way for grandparents to help their family stay connected with Judaism when they can’t be there to help.
And a recent story in My Jewish Learning shares a sweet example of a faraway grandfather sharing a bedtime ritual with this grandson, Benjamin. In a standing 8 pm telephone date each night, Benjamin and his grandfather share a story or a few songs. Then Benjamin says the shema and recites ve-ahavta.
