By Julie Moos
In a fit of guilt, I got out of bed late last night and searched Amazon for something that would help me understand why my 10-year-old son who has loved being Jewish since he was 3 suddenly hates it and wants to stop going to religious school and synagogue.
Is it because we switched temples in the middle of last year and he hasn't really adjusted? Is it because I got sick and while it strengthened my faith it caused him to doubt his? Is it because this is what 10-year-old boys do when they're suddenly faced with the reality of serious study in preparation for their Bar Mitzvahs (Sunday school is no longer juice boxes and the hora)?
In the rational light of day, I know I'll call my rabbi and talk with him about what's going on. But in the heat of the night, I can only think of one solution to any problem that's keeping me awake: Buy a book.
So, last night I browsed and considered the whole panoply of Bar Mitzvah literature, then bought instead:
- E-mail from a Jewish Mother (I love epistolary fiction!)
- Pitching My Tent: On Marriage, Motherhood, Friendship, and Other Leaps of Faith by Anita Diamant (Am I the only Jewish woman who hasn't read "The Red Tent"?)
- Who Makes Up These Rules, Anyway? (The main character is a Jewish mother whose 12-year-old daughter is preparing for her Bat Mitzvah)
I almost bought Jewtopia, but it was too funny for the moment.
What book binges have you been on recently?
Julie is a writer and editor who lives with her husband and son in Safety Harbor, Florida.
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