Toddler Hanukkah

Well, it's the night before Christmas. More importantly, it's the day after the last day of Hanukkah. This was Jonah's first Hanukkah in which he was really aware. Some highlights:

- When I came home from work on the first night, he was already saying "ha-kah" and associating it with the menorah, dreidels, and his First Hanukkah Book.
- After I read the first transliterated blessing, he signed "more".
- By the third night, he knew what came after candles -- presents! (See some great examples to the right.)
- We didn't get to our traditional dinner until the last night. Jonah gobbled up the brisket (from my dad's famous recipe) and the "ha-ha" (challah), but didn't go for the latkes.

We don't celebrate many holidays in our household, only Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. Michele and I have been pretty consistent about Hanukkah for the past few years, despite the fact that I have minimal Judaism in my upbringing and Michele grew up with Christianity and Catholicism. Michele and I talk frequently about how to be more Jewish, including joining a temple, sending Jonah to Jewish day care or preschool. I think a lot about why this is so important to me and I've come up with two things.

First, most of my life I wanted to learn more about Judaism. I only went to Hebrew school for a year and I was barely bar-mitvah'd. Including religion in my life with any more regularity than eight nights every twelve months is a bit scary. I'm skeptical of religions in general, and most of my childhood experiences with Jewish community left a bad taste in my mouth. But I am curious, and I feel like I have a chance to learn the things that I didn't when I was a kid.

Second, being Jewish is the only "minority" thing about me. I still remember how I felt in second grade when most of the class drew Christmas trees and the other Jewish kid and me were stuck with menorahs. Today, the little girl next door asked me if my Christmas presents were wrapped. I felt the same twinge I always do at being mistaken for someone who celebrates Christmas -- pride, some self-conscious indignation, a little embarrassment. Thirty years ago, if someone had asked me if I wanted my son to go through the menorah/Christmas tree dance I would have said no. But I really want Jonah to have the experience of being a minority, even if it is only in a small piece of his life that he only thinks about for a few weeks in December.