Chabad Jewish Centre of Barrie
  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Organization
    • The Rabbi
    • Jewish Area
    • Photo Gallery
    • Support plans
  • Programs
    • Event Calendar
    • Adult Education >
      • Tanya classes
      • Lunch and Learn
      • Study Course
      • Torah Tales course
      • One on One Torah study
      • Articles & Insights
      • Questions & Answers
    • Inspirational Evening
    • Community Shabbat dinner
    • Havdallah & Melave Dinner
    • Gan Chabad Jewish Preschool - About
    • Hebrew School
    • Summer Camp >
      • About
      • Testimonials
      • Photo Gallery
      • Dates & Rates
      • Registration
      • Faq's
    • Winter Camp
    • Krav Maga Youth >
      • Krav Maga Info & Registration
    • JTeens
    • Jewish Lending Library
    • Jewish Holidays >
      • High Holidays >
        • High Holidays Services
        • Rosh Hashana Community Dinner
      • Sukkot
      • Simchat Torah
      • Chanukah >
        • Menorah Lighting & Chanukah Fest
        • Chanukah Menorah & Candles
        • Chanukah Sufganiyot Baking
        • Chanukah Sufganiyot Orders
        • Menorah Workshop
      • Purim >
        • Hamantash bake
      • Passover >
        • Passover Seder
        • Order Shmurah Matzah
        • Passover products order form
        • What is Shmurah Matzah?
        • Selling Chametz
      • Lag Ba'omer
      • Shavuot
    • Synagogue Services
    • Challah Bake
    • Community BBQ
    • Havdallah Kids Event
  • Jewish Practice
    • Bar/Bat Mitzvah
    • Jewish Calendar >
      • Request a Holiday package
    • Mezuzah
    • How to light the Menorah
    • Shabbat Candle Lighting >
      • How to
      • Shabbat Times for Barrie
      • Shabbat SMS Reminder
      • Holiday Candle Lighting
    • Kosher Beverages
    • Kosher Poultry and Meat
    • Kosher Products
    • Mikvah
  • Contact
    • Join our email list
    • Ask the Rabbi
  • Donate
    • Building fund
    • Support plans
  • stam

Do Jews Celebrate Halloween?

Question:

Do Jews celebrate Halloween? I know its origins aren't very "Jewish," but I'm worried that my kids will feel left out if they can't go trick-or-treating in the neighborhood.

Answer:

Let me tell you about a wonderful Jewish holiday: once a year, our children dress up as sages, princesses, heroes and clowns. They drop by the homes of our community, visit the infirm and the aged, spreading joy and laughter. They bring gifts of food and drink and collect tzedakah (charity) for the needy.

You guessed it--it's called Purim, when it's customary to send mishloach manot--gifts of food--to one's friends and even more gifts to those in hard times.

Flip it over (October instead of March, demanding instead of giving, scaring instead of rejoicing, demons instead of sages, etc.) and you have Halloween. There you have it: a choice of one of two messages you can give to your children. I call that a choice, because one of the beautiful things about kids is that, unlike adults, they don't do too well receiving two conflicting messages at once.

I know how hard it is to be different, but as Jews, we have been doing just that for most of our 3,800 years. Since Abraham and Sarah broke away from the Sumerian cult of gods and demons, we have lived amongst other peoples while being very different from them. And we dramatically changed the world by being that way.

That's a proud and nurturing role for any child: To be a leader and not a follower, to be a model of what should be rather than of what is.

Make your kids feel that they are the vanguard. They belong to a people who have been entrusted with the mission to be a light to the nations--not an ominous light inside a pumpkin, but a light that stands out and above and shows everyone where to go. Forget about Halloween and wait for Purim to turn the neighborhood upside down!

By Tzi Freeman

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
  • Home
  • About Us
    • The Organization
    • The Rabbi
    • Jewish Area
    • Photo Gallery
    • Support plans
  • Programs
    • Event Calendar
    • Adult Education >
      • Tanya classes
      • Lunch and Learn
      • Study Course
      • Torah Tales course
      • One on One Torah study
      • Articles & Insights
      • Questions & Answers
    • Inspirational Evening
    • Community Shabbat dinner
    • Havdallah & Melave Dinner
    • Gan Chabad Jewish Preschool - About
    • Hebrew School
    • Summer Camp >
      • About
      • Testimonials
      • Photo Gallery
      • Dates & Rates
      • Registration
      • Faq's
    • Winter Camp
    • Krav Maga Youth >
      • Krav Maga Info & Registration
    • JTeens
    • Jewish Lending Library
    • Jewish Holidays >
      • High Holidays >
        • High Holidays Services
        • Rosh Hashana Community Dinner
      • Sukkot
      • Simchat Torah
      • Chanukah >
        • Menorah Lighting & Chanukah Fest
        • Chanukah Menorah & Candles
        • Chanukah Sufganiyot Baking
        • Chanukah Sufganiyot Orders
        • Menorah Workshop
      • Purim >
        • Hamantash bake
      • Passover >
        • Passover Seder
        • Order Shmurah Matzah
        • Passover products order form
        • What is Shmurah Matzah?
        • Selling Chametz
      • Lag Ba'omer
      • Shavuot
    • Synagogue Services
    • Challah Bake
    • Community BBQ
    • Havdallah Kids Event
  • Jewish Practice
    • Bar/Bat Mitzvah
    • Jewish Calendar >
      • Request a Holiday package
    • Mezuzah
    • How to light the Menorah
    • Shabbat Candle Lighting >
      • How to
      • Shabbat Times for Barrie
      • Shabbat SMS Reminder
      • Holiday Candle Lighting
    • Kosher Beverages
    • Kosher Poultry and Meat
    • Kosher Products
    • Mikvah
  • Contact
    • Join our email list
    • Ask the Rabbi
  • Donate
    • Building fund
    • Support plans
  • stam