I am aware that there is an ongoing debate about the wisdom of having two year old children in a nursery school drop off program. I looked on line to see if there have been any conclusive studies done that would lend credence to either side of the debate. While…
Read MoreTu B’Shevat for Children and their Parents
Tu B’Shevat (Background for parents by Sylvia Rouss) Tu B’Shevat, which literally means the 15th of the month of Shevat, celebrates the new year or birthday of the trees. In the secular calendar, the holiday occurs sometime between the end of January and the beginning of February. This holiday is…
Read MoreSO MANY NEW FRIENDS!
Last week I had so much fun visiting all my new friends at the Kaplen JCC on the Palisades in Tenafly, New Jersey, at the Central Synagogue in New York City and at the Cooperman JCC in West Orange, New Jersey. We celebrated Hanukkah with Sammy Spider and the…
Read MoreHanukkah for Parents and Children
Hanukkah: Background for parents, researched and written by Sylvia Rouss Hanukkah is celebrated in the winter. It lasts for eight days and is also known as the Festival of Lights. Hanukkah is based on a historical event and is a result of a conflict between the Jewish faith and Greek…
Read MoreSpiders, Frogs, Oh, My!
Spiders, Frogs, Oh, My: Author Sylvia Rouss Tries to Engage, Comfort Children Published: April 11, 2011 Children’s books by Sylvia Rouss lately have fascinated my toddler and me. As Passover approaches, we are reading Sammy Spider’s First Passover. And Sammy Spider’s First Haggadah will take center stage at our first…
Read MoreGetting that Shabbat feeling … all over again
From an article by Donald Harrison, Editor of the San Diego Jewish World: Grandchildren have a way of drawing you back into synagogue circles. In my case, it was the desire that a soon-to-turn-4-years-old grandson begin to partake in the joy of Jewish life… For much of the service, a…
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