Beginning on Tuesday evening, November 28, and continuing on five subsequent Tuesday evenings, Rabbi Larry Rothwachs, morah d’asra of Congregation Beth Aaron, will present a series of lectures exploring Jewish parenting. The opening session will explore the “Goals, Objectives and Measures of Jewish Parenting.”
Each additional session will focus on specific facets of parenting:
December 5: “The Halachic Parameters of Chinuch: Through Ages and Stages”
December 19:”The Spirit of the Law and the Law of the Spirit: Fostering Spirituality in Our Children”
December 26: “Stepping In and Stepping Aside: Inspiring Independence in a Scary World”
January 2: “The Times They Are A- Changin’: Jewish Parenting in the 21st Century”
January 9: ”Square Pegs and Round Holes: Torah Perspectives on Raising Challenging Children”
Throughout his years at the helm of Beth Aaron, Rabbi Rothwachs has offered several lecture series that have been received with great interest and enthusiasm by the community. When asked what motivated this current series on parenting, Rabbi Rothwachs shared, “Many parents today are searching for guidance and inspiration to assist them in navigating through the often challenging seas of parenting. One can easily find hundreds of self-help books, written by educators, psychologists and recognized parenting experts. Undoubtedly, there is tremendous value in many of these works, but the eternally relevant messages and teachings of the Torah can provide us with useful direction and profound inspiration. My goal is to enable those of us who are looking to improve our parenting skills and develop our unique parenting styles, to become more educated and enriched through the study and analysis of relevant Torah teachings.”
Rabbi Rothwachs invites parents of “all ages and stages” to attend the sessions. The topics he has included in this series will confront situations that parents face today that “reflect new and unprecedented circumstances.” Rabbi Rothwachs explained further, “The technological advancements of the past quarter of a century, coupled with seismic shifts in social and societal thinking, creates the need for re-examination of the goals and methods of parenting. The timeless messages of the Torah continue to inform and inspire at all times and under all circumstances.”
Rabbi Rothwachs has led the Beth Aaron community for the past 15 years. From 1998 through 2016, Rabbi Rothwachs served as an instructor of Talmud at Yeshiva University High School for Boys as well as the Rosenbaum Yeshiva of North Jersey. Summers find Rabbi Rothwachs at Camp Morasha where he serves as head rabbi. His experience working closely with youth at critical periods in their education has provided Rabbi Rothwachs with unique insight into, and sensitivity to, the needs of the community’s children. In April 2016, Rabbi Rothwachs was appointed director of professional rabbinics at RIETS, where he serves as a role model to future rabbis for whom he exemplifies a spiritual leader who can effectively balance the spiritual, social and emotional needs of a large, suburban community.
The parenting series will begin on Tuesday evening, November 28, at 8:30 p.m., at Congregation Beth Aaron, 950 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666.
By Pearl Markovitz
