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Conference taveng::bagels

Title:BAGELS and other things of Jewish interest
Notice:1.0 policy, 280.0 directory, 32.0 registration
Moderator:SMURF::FENSTER
Created:Mon Feb 03 1986
Last Modified:Thu Jun 05 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1524
Total number of notes:18709

856.0. "Books for a non-Jewish child?" by HARDY::REGNELL (Smile!--Payback is a MOTHER!) Tue Dec 19 1989 12:10

    
    Greetings,
    
    I am a Christian of some or little religious education who has
    a son [age nine] who has asked me about the Jewish religion.
    
    He stated to me...in all the seriousness that a nine-year-old
    can manage...that to make intelligent decisions in his life,
    he should learn about other reigions than Christianity.
    
    Made sense to me....but we live in the country [read boonies]
    and although he offered as how he would love to go to a Jewish
    religious ceremony, the chances of that are pretty slim anywhere
    near where we live.
    
    Could anyone suggest some books suitable for a precocious
    nine-year old reader....they can't be too simple, he will
    be insulted...but I would guess they shouldn't be too heavy
    either. I would like to encourage his innocent desire to
    merely understand how different folks think about belief
    systems.
    
    Right now he is fascinated that people of different beliefs would
    view Jesus in such different ways...I would like to maintain his
    fascination and acceptance of other-ways, while satisfying his
    desire to know.
    
    Someday, this will be his decision to make, and I would like to
    give him all the information I can to help him come to his
    own conclusions.
    
    Thanks in advance.
    
    Mel
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856.1Try _What is a Jew_CASP::SEIDMANAaron SeidmanWed Dec 20 1989 16:3110
    Take a look at _What is a Jew_ by Rabbi Morris Kertzer.  It is
    available in paperback (Collier, I believe).  It consists of questions
    and answers about Judaism.  One of the things that sets it apart from
    some similar books is that the questions are real questions that people
    actually asked Kertzer, not ones that he made up to introduce a
    statement.  While oriented to an adult audience, I think it might be
    suitable for a bright child, especially since he can skip the questions
    that don't interest him.

                                        Aaron
856.2Conversations with Rabbi SmallULTRA::WITTENBERGSecure Systems for Insecure PeopleThu Dec 21 1989 08:225
    I haven't  read  it, but several people recommended "conversations
    With  Rabbi  Small"  by  Harry  Kemelman.  He's  the author of the
    mystery series  Xday the rabbi did Y.

--David
856.3Thank youSUPER::REGNELLSmile!--Payback is a MOTHER!Thu Dec 21 1989 14:419
    
    Thank you both. I will check them out.
    
    David....if I had half a brain I would have sent you mail
    and asked you...yes? But why start thinking now...Hmmmm?
    
    Thanks again.
    
    Melinda