Have you had or adopted a baby in the last six months? Are you expecting soon, or do you know someone who is?

Let us welcome your baby to the Metrowest Jewish community with a visit and a gift!

Welcome Baby! has welcomed 121 new babies to our community already! Welcome Baby! visits new parents with babies aged newborn to 6 months and gives them a complimentary gift basket filled with high-quality baby gifts. Welcome Baby! connects new parents to resources, family activities, and new friends. If you have a new baby or know someone who does, and would like to connect, sign up here!

If the weather is questionable -- either too rainy or too hot -- on the morning of the Meet-up, please call 508-879-3300 ext. 4 to find out if we'll be at the playground or the JFS Children's Room, 475 Franklin St., Framingham. You can also check your e-mail and our Facebook page for updates.  

Heidi Anderson:

Meet Our New Metrowest South Connector!

by Julie Wolf, JFN Newsletter Editor

  

 

I love meeting people and have been committed to trying to expand our network of friends in the Jewish community. I became involved in JFN activities as a new mom who was looking to connect with other new moms. I quickly found a wealth of support, resources, and a few new friends for my daughter and me.

I have been motivated by my conversations with [outgoing South-area connector] Julie Rubin and felt strongly when I learned that she was stepping down that the  work that she and others before her started needed to continue. I'm excited about the opportunity to continue my involvement with JFN in a different way. I look forward to getting to know other families in the area and making connections. 

I know you're new to being a connector, but what are some ways you'd like to reach out to the families in "southern" Metrowest?

Do you see any particular challenges for Jewish families connecting in Franklin and the surrounding towns?

I think we may be a smaller group spread out over a larger geographic area. I plan to publicize events across the communities to access all areas. I also want to reach out to working moms and explore ways to expand their participation.

Personally, why do you feel it's important for families raising Jewish children to develop a community within the larger community around them?

I think it is important for our kids to feel connected and to meet peers who have similar traditions and rituals in their homes. Friends are such a big influence on children; I hope to instill in my children a sense of belonging within the Jewish community. I've found it hard to connect with other Jewish families in the [South Metrowest] area, so the network has been a way for my family to do so.