Media Contact

Eileen Mitchell

Marketing Communications Manager

Peninsula Jewish Community Center

800 Foster City Blvd. Foster City, CA 94404

Ph: 650.378.2723

For Immediate Release

How to Raise Children in a Religion That is Not Your Own

“The Mothers Circle” Program Comes to PJCC in Foster City

(Foster City, Calif., September 20) – With Jewish intermarriages on the rise, there may be as many as 200,000 non-Jewish mothers nationally who have agreed to raise their children Jewish. In response to this growing demographic, the Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) sponsors a program called The Mothers Circle” which provides free education and support to women raising a family in an unfamiliar faith. The popular program, which began in Atlanta and launched nationally in 2005, has rapidly expanded to over 75 communities across the country. On November 3, “The Mothers Circle” comes to Foster City

Led by Rabbi Lavey Derby, Director of Jewish Life at the PJCC, the free six-week Thursday morning circle will provide a warm supportive community for non-Jewish women who are raising Jewish children.

“Mothers will discover how to enrich their families’ Jewish experience, and deepen their connection to the religion of their husbands and children—and to do so with peers who are facing similar challenges.” Rabbi Derby said. “It’s an ideal opportunity to learn about Jewish holiday celebrations, rituals, practices and values.” He added that no affiliation with a Jewish institution or prior knowledge of the Jewish faith or culture is required. The program also includes free childcare.

In addition, The Mothers Circle offers a national email discussion listserve for all mothers of other religious backgrounds raising Jewish children, even if they live in communities where the program is not yet available. The listserve provides a supportive online community of peers from across the country to share their experiences, thoughts and questions once they sign up at www.TheMothersCircle.org.

Program dates at the PJCC are Thursdays, November 3 & 17, December 1 & 15, and January 5 & 19 from 11:30 am to 1:00 pm. Participants are invited to bring a bag lunch, and coffee and tea will be provided. To register, please call the PJCC at 650.378.2702.

The PJCC is located at 800 Foster City Blvd in Foster City, directly off Hwy. 92. For more information, please visit www.pjcc.org or call 650.212.PJCC (7522).

The Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI)

JOI is an independent, national, trans-denominational organization reaching out to unengaged and intermarried Jewish families, and helping the organized Jewish community better welcome them in. JOI conducts research, runs programs, and serves as a national training institution and network for outreach professionals, guiding and supporting innovative outreach in communities throughout North America. For more information, contact JOI at (212) 760-1440, or Marley Weiner at .

About the PJCC
The Peninsula Jewish Community Center (PJCC) was established over 60 years ago and partners with various organizations around the Peninsula to help build a more caring and connected community. Offering life-enhancing programs for people of all ages, faiths and backgrounds, the PJCC is abeneficiary agency of the Jewish Community Federation of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties. To learn more about the PJCC, visit www.pjcc.org or call 650.212.PJCC (7522).

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