Jewish but Not Religious, and Chores for 09/23/2017
Dear Family Coach
Dear Family Coach: My family is Jewish but not religious. Most of us are atheist or agnostic. We still celebrate all of the holidays because we consider ourselves culturally Jewish. We used to live in a Jewish area, so the schools were closed for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Now we live in an area with very few Jews, so the kids have school on those days. My oldest is in high school and doesn’t want to miss classes. But I feel that it sends a message to others that Judaism doesn’t matter when not even the Jews observe the holiday. I want to forbid her from attending school. Is that unfair? – Jewish
Dear Jewish: From what you’ve said, it sounds like your primary concern is that others will misunderstand Judaism if your daughter attends school. You may be right, but your first obligation is to your daughter. Why doesn’t she want to miss school? I’m guessing because high school is stressful. It moves quickly, and missing even one day can cause a bit of a breakdown.
Updated: Sat Sep 23, 2017