a How should parents respond? writing a letter to a newspaper, attending a community rally, Young children cannot under- stand the complex historical, eco- speaking to your child's school nomic, sociological, and religious administration or his class. * To counter the image of the reasons for hatred of the Jews. The most important things par- Jew as victim, point out histori- ents can do, according to Rabbi cal and contemporary examples Rosman, are to help their chil- of Jewish strength and triumph dren "feel safe and secure ... and over adversity and oppression. * Turn to local community re- to maintain their children's self- respect and their respect for oth- sources for help: rabbis, Hebrew and day school teachers, the Jew- er people." Here are some guidelines for ish Community Council, Jewish helping a child deal with an anti- Family Service, and the Resource Center at the Agency for Jewish Semitic incident: * Don't over-react or react for Education, where staff can help you select age-appropriate books your child. * Ask questions to clarify what and tapes. The hamantashen we eat on happened. * Find out how your child feels Purim can become a vehicle for about what took place, and what putting anti-Semitism in per- he thinks about why it happened. spective for children. These pas- * Reassure your child. Make tries are filled with meaning as well as with prunes or poppy her feel protected. * Affirm your child's self- seeds. In a hamantash, the evil Haman (and all his subsequent worth. * Keep communication open. embodiments) co-exist with the Your child may need to work playfulness of Purim and the joy through the experience by dis- of our people's survival. Young children think con- cussing it again. * Emphasize the positives. cretely. Through their senses, Painful situations in life can help they can grasp the significance us grow. Ask, "Would you do of the many other Jewish sym- something differently next time?" bols that contain contradictory * Many anti-Semitic remarks elements, reflecting the com- and acts are based on myths, plexity of life. The gaiety of stereotypes, and lack of accurate Purim is preceded by the sobri- information or understanding. Is ety of the Fast of Esther. The CONSTRUCTION RESIDENTIAL-COMMERCIAL DESIGN I N R E C O N BUILD 1-8004214141 Willey Marketing Stoup Oak Pa*, MI Designed & Built by Quality Cosine:Doe Baggies1 Shorts Patagonia has made go-anywhere, do-anything Baggies Shorts for 13 years. Made of a cotton/Supplex° blend, they are meticulously stitched and finished, strong and quick-drying. Beware of imitations. patagonia there an opportunity Graffiti s prayed charoset eaten at the here for educating a on the in tenor of Passover seder reminds us of the harshness of a temp le by teacher or a playmate? slavery, yet the sweetness vand als. * Instead of labeling of freedom. "bad [or good] people," We break a glass at the talk about "people who end of a wedding to show that do or say bad [or good] things." * As early as pre-school, begin happiness is not unadulterated. talking with your child about dif- Sadness and joy are intermin- ferences among people. Discuss gled. But, as the hamantash and and model the need to respect the charoset taste good, so Ju- and learn about those who are daism should be appealing to children. different from us. Our goals are to build self-es- * Set an example of taking ac- tion to combat anti-Semitism by teem and Jewish identity 0 the yachtsman Michigan's largest selection of Patagonia apparel. 4316 N. Woodward Ave . * South of 14 Mile Road (810) 549-5070