Today I flew home from London. I got home just in time to go pick the boys up from school and take them to the open house at the school the younger three will attend next year. There is also a gan that Noa will attend at some point in the next school year, too. Kevin met us there, and we quite enjoyed their program. One thing I especially love about this school is that in addition to being international, about 1/3 of the pupils are not Jewish. So while the schools does observe and celebrate all the Jewish holidays, my kids will be exposed to other religions and cultures as well. That said, they lived their first so many years in predominantly Christian countries, so it won't be anything new for them, and I really do want that to stay like that: they should be aware of ond respectful of other beliefs. Not to mention that one of my kids is not Jewish.
This kid, however, decided that it was about time to ask him when we'd make him Jewish. From his previous family's reasoning he figured if the family was Jewish, he had to become one as well. I told him it wasn't working like that, and if and when he decides that he really wants to become a Jew, we will help him to become one. It, however, has to be his decision from his conviction, and it involves a somewhat painful process for a boy. We shall see what he decides later.
We also ran into someone I knew from Wichita, Kansas who now lives here (for a few years only). As a product of a homeschooling Quaker family I was very surprised to see him enrolling his kids at the school... and then it turns out that his wife is the gal I used to sing together with in an acapella group in Newton, KS. Even better, she is going to teach choir at the school next year! Now before we all get amazed at the coincidence factor, it was from a Kansan friend who lived here a few years ago that I first heard about the school.
Yawn, it's about time for bed. I can't keep my eyes open.
