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December 2012
Welcome to Jewish Family Network!
JFN offers community, connection, and fun!
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PJ Library Story Time Brunch and Sock Hop
Sunday, Nov. 18
MetroWest Jewish Day School, Framingham
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About Jewish Family Network
Jewish Family Network (JFN) connects young families raising Jewish children ages 0-5 to each other and the Jewish community. JFS of Metrowest and JCCs of Greater Boston have joined together to engage parents across the region. To find out more about JFS and its services, click here. To find out more about JCC and its programs, click here.
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 Jewish Family Service's 4th Annual
Young Family Chanukah Party!
Tuesday, Dec. 4
4:30-6 p.m.
$10/family, with donation of a toy or game
Register here!
Big Joe the Storyteller: Chanukah tales and fun for all!
Please join JFS and the residents of Farm Pond in Framingham for community and tzedakah (charity). Children will make Chanukah crafts together with the seniors at Farm Pond.
A light dinner will be served.
Make the season brighter for all of those in our community. Please donate a new toy or game to a child in need. JFS's Family Assistance Network makes sure that every child in the families it helps will have at least one present this year. Make a child's wish come true.
JFS's Family Assistance Network assisted 700 individuals in 290 Metrowest families since last year.
Farm Pond/Emeritus Retirement Community
300 West Farm Rd., Framingham
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Save the Date!
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Play and Glow Havdalah
Saturday, Jan. 12, 2013
4-6 p.m.
$15/family; $5 additional for late registration and walk-ins
Kidzturf
36 Milliston Rd. (Route 109), Millis
Toe Jam Puppet Band
Monday, Jan. 21, 2013
10:30 a.m.
$5/family; $10 for late registration and walk-ins
Register here!
Call 508-875-3100 for more information.
Temple Beth Torah
1060 Washington St.,
Holliston
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JFN news every month!
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Welcome Baby!
Have you had or adopted a baby in the last six months? Are you expecting soon, or do you know someone who is? Welcome Baby! has welcomed 200 new babies to our community already! Thanks to all of you who spread the word and helped us reach this milestone! 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 -- and has now expanded to Brookline, Newton, and all the CJP communities. If you have a new baby or know someone who does, and would like to connect, sign up here. Welcome Baby Registration Find Welcome Baby! on Facebook! Our Welcome Baby! page is filled with lots of great parenting information, including ways to connect with other families with a child aged newborn to 1 year. We hope you'll "Like" us! |
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добро пожаловать!
Chanukah Party, Russian Style
with special guest star from Israel!
Thursday, December 13
6 p.m.
@ JFS
475 Franklin St., Framingham
Engaging Metrowest Russian Jewish Families
in Jewish Community Life
A grant from the Genesis Fund was the beginning, and now Russian Jewish families throughout Metrowest are part of Jewish Family Network. We are identifying and connecting with members of this large and vibrant community through engaging programming and activities.
As part of this program, JFN provides special Privet Malish visits -- Welcome Baby! visits with gift baskets and resources tailored for Russian Jewish families.
If you are interested in learning more about our programs or Privet Malish, or if you know someone who is, please contact our Russian community connector, Luba Olshan, for more information.
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Metrowest Fun for All!
North Area (Contact: Amy Kohen)
Monday Morning Playgroup
Mondays, Dec. 3, 10, and 17
9:30 a.m.
For kids 3 and under with an adult
Free!
Get over the the Monday morning blahs with JFN's Monday morning playgroup! Join Amy in Room 4 for good fun and new friends. There will be a light snack for the kids. No preregistration is necessary -- just drop in and say hi.
JCC Early Learning Center
141 Boston Post Rd., Wayland
(at Temple Shir Tikva)
*** Please note that this month there will be no playgroup on Dec. 24 and 31 because of school vacation.
Chanukah Potluck in Sudbury
Sunday, Dec. 16
Amy and her husband, Doug, are hosting their annual Chanukah potluck, and you're invited! Please contact Amy for more information about start time and what sort of dish to bring.
Central Area (Contact: Nissa Weiss)
Thursday Playtime Meet-ups
Thursdays, Dec. 6, 13, and 20
9:30-11:30 a.m.
Free!
Join Nissa and JFN every Thursday morning for Playtime Meet-up. Kids can play in a safe, stimulating environment
while adults socialize and relax with new friends and old. A light snack and drink will be provided for the kids.
JFS Children's Room
475 Franklin St., Framingham
*** Please note that this month there will be no playgroup on Dec. 27 because of school vacation.
South Area (Contact: Kelly Crockett)
Chanukah Party in Holliston
Sunday, Dec. 9
10:30 a.m.-noon
For families with young children through 1st grade
Join Temple Beth Torah's Early Childhood Committee for a fun-filled morning of games, Chanukah crafts, singing, and face painting.
Don't miss this wonderful opportunity to meet new friends and share in the festivities. This program is supported by JFS of Metrowest and Kulanu and is free and open to the community.
Please consider donating toilet paper, paper towels, tomato sauce, canned tuna, or canned pasta to be collected and distributed through the Holliston Food Pantry.
Please RSVP to the temple office at 508-429-6268 by Sunday, Dec. 2.
Temple Beth Torah2162 Washington St., Holliston At-Home Playdate
Hosted by Diane AndersonJFN mom Diane Anderson is hosting a play date in her home! For more information about time and location, and for directions, please contact Kelly. Meet-up.com
For up-to-the-minute information on what Kelly has planned for JFN, and also to learn about other activities for young families in the area, please join her Meet-up page, Jewish Families with Young Children, Metrowest Boston.
Please join all of us at Jewish Family Network in saying goodbye to our South-area connector, Kelly Crockett. As of January, she and her family will be relocating to Maryland. We thank her for all her efforts in bringing together the Metrowest South Jewish community and wish her luck in all her future endeavors.
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Open House for New Acton Preschool
Sunday, Dec. 9
2:30-4 p.m.
Here's a great opportunity for families in the greater Acton area. As of June 2013, Acton's Congregation Beth Elohim will be taking over management of the Early Learning Center preschool (CBE ELC) currently run by the Jewish Community Centers of Boston. The preschool will offer part-day and full-day, school-year, full-year, and summer programs for children ages 15 months to 5 years.
On Dec. 9, you can tour the school and meet the parent advisory committee and transition team at an open house. Kids will enjoy a short concert performed by Chris Whitbeck and Peter Broggi of The Family Band.
After the open house, all prospective students and their families are invited to join Congregation Beth Elohim's Chanukah celebration upstairs in the social hall.
Congregation Beth Elohim
133 Prospect St., Acton
For more information or to schedule a private tour, please contact preschool@bethelohim.org.
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Party at Amy's House!:
Our North-Area Connector Starts a Community Chanukah Tradition
by Julie Wolf
For the past three years, our North-area connector, Amy Kohen, and her husband, Doug, have hosted a Chanukah potluck, welcoming Jewish Family Network families into their Sudbury home to celebrate the holiday and enjoy the community Amy has had a hand in building. Amy has been with JFN for three years, since her daughter Ellie was a newborn. Since then her family has grown to include daughter Lucy, and her dedication to the Jewish community has grown along with it.
Your Chanukah potluck has become a yearly event for JFN. Is it something you and Doug have always done, or did you start the tradition when you started at JFN?
I've always loved entertaining. I stopped catering professionally after Ellie was born in 2009, so I always look for a good reason to host an event at our home. It's also very important for Doug and me to teach Ellie (3 years) and Lucy (10 months) about the Jewish holidays. And of course in teaching, we want them to have FUN with it, so why not throw a party?!
We did start our Chanukah potluck since I've been working with JFN, and it's been popular and a wonderful way to bring together some people who haven't met but obviously have the holiday in common. It's also a wonderful opportunity to teach Ellie and soon Lucy how to make some killer latkes!
What sort of responses have you gotten to your party? Do you find that people are shy about attending if they've only met you briefly at events?
I've had a good response so far, both from families that I know well or families that I haven't met at all. It's a very casual evening and of course gets a little out of hand with all the kids. But children don't know that certain parents don't know each other. They just want to have a fun night, so I think that helps the parents relax a little. And there's always plenty to chat about.
Last year we had about seven families, which was perfect. Toward the end of the evening, one of the fathers started reading a story in the playroom, and all the children gathered around him, climbing over each other to see the pictures and get a closer look. It was such a simple gesture that really represented what the whole evening was all about.
Lucy is still a baby, so you have a couple more years before Chanukah hits her with full force, but how do you explain Chanukah to Ellie? Is she all about the gifts at this point, or does she like the traditions best? It seems that once kids come into contact with Christmas through friends, it's harder to explain to them that Chanukah is not a Jewish Christmas.
Ellie spent last year at the JCC preschool in Wayland. Through lots of music, amazing teachers, and great friends, she has grown to love the Jewish holidays. At this point, Chanukah starts and ends with menorahs and the "Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel" song. When we're home for Shabbat dinners, Ellie typically takes out the menorah, as well as the candlesticks and wine cup. We do spend many afternoons when it gets dark driving around looking at the "pretty lights," but their meaning hasn't come up yet. I think we have one more year.
You've been with JFN for close to three years now, and recently you took on more responsibility in the program. Why is JFN important to you, and what do you hope you can do for other Jewish families in the area who you meet as a connector?
Since having children, it's been important to me to develop relationships with other moms in the community as well as develop my relationship with the Jewish community. I'm also on the board of Sudbury Family Network and work consistently with the Women's Philanthropy branch of Combined Jewish Philanthropies. It's so important to build a support network while raising children. It has really helped to keep me grounded. I'm laid-back, and I hope that my casual approach makes people feel more comfortable and hopefully lets people put their guards down and just start a relationship with a simple conversation.
Please contact Amy for information about her Chanukah party and other events in her area.
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Happy Birthday, December Babies!
They grow up so fast, don't they?
Evan R. of Franklin turns 3 on Dec. 1.
Nathaniel L. of Framingham turns 3 on Dec. 1.
Taylor R. of Ashland turns 2 on Dec. 8.
Noah S. of Framingham turns 5 on Dec. 8.
Lila B. of Framingham turns 5 on Dec. 11.
Talia N. of Wellesley turns 5 on Dec. 12.
Jordyn M. of Ashland turns 4 on Dec. 15.
Olivia S. of Natick turns 5 on Dec. 15.
Seth E. of Framingham turns 4 on Dec. 17. Lauren S. of Framingham turns 4 on Dec. 27.
Aleah N. (Talia N.'s little sister!) of Wellesley turns 3 on Dec. 27.
Molly C. of Franklin turns 2 on Dec. 28.
Asher D. of Framingham turns 3 on Dec. 31.
Let us wish your child a happy birthday next month. Please click here for Birthday Wishes.
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Taking Charge, Making Changes
Session starts Jan. 15
Start the new year right! Our financial literacy program is designed to offer women in the Metrowest area a unique and supportive approach to managing their finances. We address the challenging financial needs of women while helping them develop monthly budgets, handle debt, prioritize payments, and access additional financial resources. Our financial literacy specialists will work with you one on one or in a group.
Please e-mail Diana O'Brien or call her at 508-875-3100 x300 for more information.
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest
475 Franklin St., Framingham
Funded by the Boston Jewish Women's Fund and the Metrowest Jewish Community Fund.
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Find what you need, when you need it. Share events, resources, and ideas, or simply have your voice heard. Go ahead, be Jewish the way you want to be. This month JewishBoston.com has a special Chanukah section, offering loads of information about the holiday's traditions and about special events all around the Boston area.
While browsing JewishBoston.com, check out Jewish Family Network's blog under Personal Stories, where you can find Julie's interviews with some of the amazing people in our community in one place. |
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Community Connections
Jewish Family Service of Metrowest
JCCs of Greater Boston-Metrowest
InterfaithFamily.com
MetroWest Jewish Day School
CJP (Combined Jewish Philanthropies)
Career Moves-JVS
Reform Jewish Outreach
Jewish Discovery Institute
The Jewish Birth Network
Jewish Family Workshop
Preschools
Gan Elohim Nursery School, Wellesley
JCC Early Learning Center, Acton
JCC Early Learning Center, Wayland
Judy Gordon Nursery School, Natick
Temple Beth Sholom Preschool, Framingham
Synagogues
Metrowest Synagogues-North
Congregation Beth El (R), Sudbury
Congregation Beth Elohim, Acton
Congregation B'nai Torah (R), Sudbury
Congregation Kerem Shalom, Concord
Ma'ayan Tikvah, Wayland
Congregation Or Atid (C), Wayland
Temple Emanuel, Marlborough
Temple Shir Tikva (R), Wayland
Metrowest Synagogues-Central
Sha'arei Shalom, Ashland
Temple Beth Am (R), Framingham
Temple Beth Elohim (R), Wellesley
Temple Beth Sholom (C), Framingham
Temple Israel of Natick (C)
Metrowest Synagogues-South Congregation Ael Chunon, Millis Temple Beth Torah (C), Holliston
Temple Etz Chaim (R), Franklin
R=Union for Reform Judaism C=United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism |
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Tot Shabbat
Congregation Beth El in Sudbury
This parent-child program includes singing, dancing, a puppet story, challah, and juice. Stay and play from noon to 12:30 and then join the congregation for a delicious Kiddush lunch.
This is a wonderful opportunity to connect with other young families in a fun and spiritual atmosphere.
Saturday, Dec. 1 Noon-12:30 p.m.
Congregation Beth El
105 Hudson Rd., Sudbury |
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Jewish Family Network is a collaboration of Jewish Family Service of Metrowest and the Jewish Community Centers of Greater Boston with generous support from the Metrowest Jewish Community Fund, Clare and Richard Lesser and Combined Jewish Philanthropies. Interfaith families, single parents, people with disabilities, and GLBT families are welcome.
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