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Multicultural families

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Original poster

Not in the nativity play

226 replies

PrettyHannukahndles · 15/12/2004 16:58

As ds is being brought up Jewish, I chose not to have him perform in his nursery's nativity play next week, but to let him perform in the rest of the nursery's concert. I've learned today that he is now the only child who will not be in the nativity, as all the other non-performing children will not be at nursery that day.

Suddenly he feels left out. I had a talk with the nursery staff, who told me that he needn't come in uniform that day, as all the others would be wearing their costumes. I suggested that he might like to wear a costume as well, so that he will feel more involved. But what sort of costume could he wear? He wants to wear a red-and-white Santa hat with flashing stars (at least, that's what I think he meant by his rather garbled and excited description ). I'm not sure whether that's appropriate - could anyone suggest something?

OP posts:
spacedonkey · 15/12/2004 18:27

Your post sounded sarcastic in tone.

Miriam2 · 15/12/2004 18:28

But I've never seen a nativity with Elizabeth in...???

AMerryScot · 15/12/2004 18:28

Eh?

Original poster
PrettyHannukahndles · 15/12/2004 18:28

Jews for Jesus are not accepted as Jews by the Jewish community - they are converts to Christianity. What pisses us off is that they think that they can have their cake and eat it. Yoou cannot be both Jewish and Christian - the two religions are mutually exclusive.

OP posts:
TheHollyAndTheTwiglett · 15/12/2004 18:28

So, I'd let him wear whatever he wanted to .. he's not going to take any religious significance out of it

are you sure he wouldn't like to be a ninja turtle? ..

spacedonkey · 15/12/2004 18:29

Nobody was suggesting that a four year old would be indoctrinated by participating in, or watching a nativity play.

janeyjinglebops · 15/12/2004 18:29

before dd started school we had deliberately not exposed her to the story of jesus. we have also delibrately not choosen a church (or other faith) school for her

Blu · 15/12/2004 18:30

I have tried to introduce DS to Christianity in the same way that he became aware of his grandparents Hindu practice when we stayed with them for a month recently. I explained about jesus, mary, God, and taught him Away in a manger. He has now explained that 'Christians are the ones that sleep in the hay'.

Indoctrinated.

aloha · 15/12/2004 18:30

But surely (and not wanting to argue about the theology as it's all the same to me really) you can be Jewish by race as well as religion, so you could technically be Jewish by race and Christian by religion? I do know Jewish people who aren't religious at all but still regard themselves as Jewish.

AMerryScot · 15/12/2004 18:30

So, if there's no indoctrination, what's the big deal?

Original poster
PrettyHannukahndles · 15/12/2004 18:32

Flashing Santa
Ninja Turtle
pre-King David
Snowman
'Animal'

Anything else?

OP posts:
spacedonkey · 15/12/2004 18:32

A jew may not be a practising jew, but still be jewish, but if they decide to adopt the christian faith, they're not jewish anymore!

Blu · 15/12/2004 18:32

I just looked at their website and read their statement of faith. Christians, definitely. i suppose the paradox rests on the fact that they are defining themselves racially as jewish, (jewish mothers etc) though clearly are christian by religion.

spacedonkey · 15/12/2004 18:32

chanukah candle!

TheHollyAndTheTwiglett · 15/12/2004 18:33

Judaism isn't a race though, its a religion .. look at the falasha's (ethiopian jewry) they're accepted as Jews but I bet there's limited genetic links to sephardic or ashkenazi jews

Original poster
PrettyHannukahndles · 15/12/2004 18:33

Your ancestry is one thing, what you choose to believe in is another. Judaism holds that converts (whether to or from Judaism) become wholely what they converted to, no matter what they were before.

OP posts:
aloha · 15/12/2004 18:34

Spaceman?

Original poster
PrettyHannukahndles · 15/12/2004 18:35

I have to go now (am at my parents, indulging in Broadband) as must put infants to bed, but shall return. See you later!

OP posts:
Blu · 15/12/2004 18:36

Reindeer?
Elf
Camel
Star of David

spacedonkey · 15/12/2004 18:37

Aloha has a point though that with judaism there is a cultural element in a way that there isn't with christianity. My dp is a bacon sandwich eating jew for instance. But he's very definitely jewish.

Blu · 15/12/2004 18:37

Night night, babycandles!

DoesntChristmasDragOn · 15/12/2004 18:37

Send him dressed as a chicken.

Blu · 15/12/2004 18:38

Chickensoup?

aloha · 15/12/2004 18:41

I have no argument with how people want to define themselves,really, just interested that my very irreligious, secular jewish friends do think of themselves as racially Jewish, I think. Though I can see of course that anybody of any race can become jewish. There is a hybrid element perhaps?

spacedonkey · 15/12/2004 18:43

PHC is correct in saying that a jew can't be both jewish and christian at the same time. There is that cultural element to judaism, but Judaism isn't racial, it is religious.