3 ideas for throwing a great family event

Arriving from Israel 13 years ago was not easy and to be honest, loneliness ensued. Turning into a young mum a few years later was even more isolating.

From these strong feelings emerged my need for community, for opportunities to feel a connection, for me to remember and re-live moments from my own childhood, for myself and my children to be part of a support network.

It is from this place that I have wanted to contribute to the development of such a community for young families. I wanted to develop not only a space, but also content and ample opportunities to come together, as well as the choice to engage in Jewish life and culture. A place where people felt together even if they arrived alone. By working at JW3 I can create community programmes that speak to children AND their parents.

Bringing up my children, I greatly missed three things that I now try to incorporate in our family events: reconnecting parents with their own childhood experiences and traditions; fostering strong connections between people as well as between organisations; and encouraging engagement with Jewish culture.

Nostalgia.

Our events are not only for our children but also for their parents. I often find that if parents can recognise some aspects that remind them of their own home and past experiences, if an event can somehow bring back childhood memories, give them that warm feeling inside – chances are they will get excited about it and engage with their children. These memories can be stirred by smell, taste, sounds and language. As an example, we hold monthly events for Israeli families called ‘Kmo B’bayit’ (Just Like Home). The title already connects the families with their home and the content, which focuses on classical and nostalgic children songs and stories, completes the experience.

Another element I found important to family programming is creating affordable opportunities for families to meet and new parents to support one another. Parent and Baby Fest is a good example of this. We have a one day free event for expecting parents and young families that offers parenting talks, family fun and taster sessions. It’s a great opportunity for families to meet other like-minded families, engage and interact. The day attracts hundreds of people and is perceived as a wonderful community building event- strengthening connections between the individual families.

A final element is the common thread running through all the events we hold - engaging our families in Jewish culture. If done in a subtle, creative and inclusive way, it can draw everyone in. Family Friday Night Dinner is a good example. We offer a relaxed Friday Night Dinner for young families with Kiddush and a kosher meal. The children can enjoy a puppet show, PJ Library storytelling, Shabbat-friendly craft, games and lots of attention from our volunteers. Although the event is celebrating Shabbat in a traditional way, the programme is open to all and everyone is made to feel at home, irrespective of their level of observance.

Though there is no fixed formula for producing a great family event, there are a few elements that should be incorporated to draw in families, make parents participate, get children to laugh, to learn and engage with Jewish culture. That way, we can achieve what we set out to- bringing people together through good quality affordable, fun and creative programme that includes Jewish values and themes.