Jewish early childhood educators face challenges during the year in balancing Judaic curriculum and the secular world we are connected to. While some Jewish early childhood centers have a majority of families where both parents are Jewish, many are made up of interfaith families in which holidays from different religions are celebrated. Striking a balance can be difficult.
When it comes to Halloween, our Reform South Bay preschool finds it challenging to maintain our identity as a Jewish preschool within the context of a holiday filled with costumes and candy. When a child walks into our school, they come with the culture and values of their family. We have a responsibility to get to know who they are and orchestrate classroom learning environments that are both meaningful and respectful to all of our students and their families. With this in mind, our school uses these times as an opportunity to have Judaism become more relevant in their daily lives.
Our faculty prepare themselves for student-initiated discussions about Halloween that most commonly happen at circle time, on the playground, and in their play and art. At our school, we connect Jewish experience and our values, like Hachnasat Orchim, welcoming the stranger. Halloween can be correlated with the mitzvah of inviting others into our Sukkah and the story of Abraham and Sarah. It is the only time of the secular year that we open our doors to complete strangers dressed as goblins, animals, and cartoon characters. We also use this an opportunity to talk about the ways in which we welcome new students, teachers, or guests into our classroom. We investigate how we can make a neighbor feel welcome when they come to our neighborhood. Students then share their ideas of what their parents have modeled for them, like bringing new neighbors cookies or baskets of food.
Of course, given the presence of COVID-19, this fall will look different than any other year. It means that we might not be able to greet others in our neighborhoods for another year, so we are exploring with our students different ways they can be welcoming while still social distancing. Some students have shared their ideas of how to do mitzvot on this secular holiday. One of our favorite ideas has been to make a donation in the same amount or more than what you would have spent on candy.
To our school community, Halloween is not taboo. We challenge and prepare ourselves to find Jewish values hidden in secular celebrations. This works for our community, but may not work for others. Each religious educational institution needs to do what is right for them on how to incorporate and balance our Jewish values in our secular world.