Some teachers say even at a young
age, religious learning does sink in.
"I think it would probably even make
a difference at age 1," says Vickie Tali-
aferro, director of Sunny Skies. "We have
Santa Claus come in, and we have some
Jewish children here. It probably does
make [their own religion] stronger for
them if they're in a religious day-care cen-
ter."
Ms. Schneider notes that the JCC pro-
gram is not merely babysitting but a cur-
riculum for young children. Children
participate in an annual Passover seder

and weekly Shabbat gatherings, where
they learn the requisite prayers.
"They're getting a feel and a taste of
Jewish culture," says Ms. Schneider. At
lunch, children younger than 3 say an
English blessing over the food, and learn
the Hebrew version when they get older.
But Linda Vonburg, owner of Little
Munchkin Day Care in Southfield, dis-
agrees.
"When they're infants, they're babies;
they're not capable of having their reli-
gious learning yet. They just need to have
a very warm environment where they're

BAS S ONOVA

treated with respect
and love ... When
they're older and
able to comprehend
whether they're
Jewish or Baptist or
whatever, then
their religious train-
ing comes in, but
they have to be old
enough to compre-
hend that."
Lisa Wald, a
Farmington Hills
mother of three, put
her name on the
waiting list at the
JCC when she was
five months preg-
nant with her first Tyler Kramer and Karen Blake relax at the JCC.
child. When he was 2
While not all of the 24 children at the
years old, there was an opening.
Mrs. Wald says choosing the JCC Maple-Drake JCC or the 12 at the Oak
"didn't have anything to do with the re- Park center are Jewish, the program-
ligious aspect of it; I just heard they had ming is.
Community House child care director
terrific day care — religious teaching was
Robin Brinks says a parent's decision to
a plus."
Her 6-month-old baby is currently en- place children in a religious or secular
child-care situation is "such a personal
rolled in the JCC program.
"I think the repeated exposure to any- thing."
Her 2-year-old son is "pretty well
thing, whatever you're trying to teach
a child, it eventually sinks in," she says. aware of what we believe in," she notes.
"I know that they take these babies to In December, the Community House cen-
the Shabbat services ... I don't know how ter teaches about Chanukah, Christmas
and Kwaanza.
much the babies actually get out of it."
"I think the most important thing is
just a loving provider," says Ms. Brinks.
Nikki Wald plays at the JCC's child
development center.
"I don't really think religion has anything
to do with that necessarily." O

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