Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/175080
RELIGION BRIEFS Image courtesy of the Temple Sinai THE GRANDPARENTS CIRCLE COMES TO SARASOTA "It is no secret that intermarriage rates in the North American Jewish community are higher than ever before," a Temple Sinai news release points out. "When an interfaith couple has children, the grandparents often feel unsure of how they can cultivate the religious identities of their grandchildren, especially when it is not always clear as to how the children will be raised." "I'm excited to be able to bring the Grandparents Circle to my community," said Sue Huntting of Temple Sinai in the release. "Grandparents can have such a strong influence on the religious identity of their grandchildren, even from a long distance, and this course will help them share Judaism with their grandchildren in an engaging and interesting way." The Grandparents Circle program, which is being funded by Temple Sinai's Adult Education program, has a number of components, the release notes. The Grandparents Circle Course is a five-session educational program that will meet weekly. Family-friendly events for grandparents and their grandchildren often held during or close to Jewish holidays or school breaks will supplement the course. The Jewish Outreach Institute (JOI) has created a program called the Grandparents Circle that offers Jewish grandparents the skills and techniques to nurture, and in some cases establish, their interfaith grandchildren's Jewish identity, the release continues. The program, which was piloted in Los Angeles, is rapidly expanding to new communities across the country. Starting Oct. 15, it will land at Temple The Grandparents Circle also offers a national email discussion "listserv" for all grandparSinai in Sarasota.