Raising a Child Jewishly


By Jen and Jake Lieberman, co-chairs of YAD’s Summer Soiree

Jen and Jake Lieberman with their son

“I’ve got the Shabbat feeling up in my rosh.” As we sang a Shabbat song that Jake and I sang as children, we were in awe. Our almost 2-year-old son had his hands on his head. Where did he hear this? How did he know Hebrew? Was this song bringing him the same joy that it brought us as children?

Landon was born April 22, 2022. While we did not know much about parenting, we did know that raising our child Jewishly was extremely important to us.

Jake and I both grew up in Jewish households, which really impacted our Jewish identities. We grew up going to Hebrew school, spending summers at Jewish overnight camps, becoming a bar/bat mitzvah and celebrating every Jewish holiday with our loved ones. We also both went on to spend time in Israel.

When it was time for our son to go to daycare, we had no hesitation about sending him to the JCC. We knew he would be exposed to Judaism, but because of him our family has been more involved with Judaism than ever before. 

There is nothing better than celebrating Rosh Chodesh with pajama day, decorating Challah covers or parading around the JCC campus during Purim. Perhaps the most exciting part of Landon’s week is tot Shabbat. Seeing all of the children come together to sing, dance and enjoy the celebration of Shabbat is truly incredible. 

Our favorite days are when there are events for parents and grandparents. Both sets of Landon’s grandparents have enjoyed celebrating holidays with him, making crafts, and helping to instill the value of tzedakah. As a family we love taking what Landon learns in school and implementing it in our own home. It is a blessing to raise a child and watch him build his Jewish identity.

Jen and Jake Lieberman with their son

Giving back to the Jewish community has truly been so rewarding. It is our hope that Landon will be on a similar Jewish journey as us. His preschool experience is planting a solid seed, and it will now be our job to help his roots grow. We hope that one day he will follow in our footsteps and see the beauty of The Associated.

Jen and Jake Lieberman are active volunteers with The Associated’s Young Adult Division (YAD), the ultimate destination for young Jewish adults who want to make a difference and have fun doing it.


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The Associated is a home for everyone in the Baltimore Jewish community. We offer several email lists to help people find a community, engage with their peers and support Jewish journeys around the world.

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