Perfect Jewish Parents

What are the unique challenges in being a first generation, interfaith family? Annie Zean Dunbar is a researcher, educator, social worker, and artist. She joins co-hosts Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon to discuss the decision to raise her child Jewishly and how her experience as an immigrant informs her family values.

Introducing children to the Holocaust is an important part of both Jewish and non-Jewish education, but the way that it's explained varies widely among communities. In this episode Morgan Blum Schneider, Director of JFCS Holocaust Center joins Perfect Jewish Parents hosts Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon to discuss how we talk about the Holocaust in our homes, what Shoah education in the post-survivor era might look like in the classroom, and how different framings of the Holocaust and genocide affect children's perceptions of these ideas.

When your child asks, "Is God real" or "Am I dreaming my entire life?"-- is it ok not to have the "right" answer?

Scott Hershovitz is the Thomas G. and Mabel Long Professor of Law and a professor of philosophy at the University of Michigan and author of Nasty, Brutish, and Short: Adventures in Philosophy with Kids. This father of two joins Perfect Jewish Parents co-hosts Masua Sagiv and Joshua Ladon to talk about why kids are particularly good at having big conversations and how the big questions kids ask provide an opportunity to engage in curiosity and creativity.

Raising kids Jewishly adds a layer of responsibility and opportunity to all of the other demands of parenting as parents navigate a wide set of choices about everything from the songs they play during holidays to how they talk to their kids about the Holocaust and antisemitism. For many parents, these aren't just responsibilities; they're a Jewish practice in and of themselves as they aim to support their children in inheriting and contributing to Jewish tradition. To explore these ideas, the Shalom Hartman Institute is launching Perfect Jewish Parents, a new show about the joys and oys of raising children Jewishly.

To kick off this first season, hosts Joshua Ladon and Masua Sagiv sit down with Yehuda Kurtzer, President of the Shalom Hartman Institute and host of Identity/Crisis, to discuss what inspired this new show and what it can offer parents and caregivers.