J Parent: Inspiring the Next Generation

By Pam Solomon, Parent Education and Engagement Coordinator

A fresh, fun, and meaningful way for Jewish parents to connect, grow, and celebrate!

Parenting young children can be a joyful, exhausting, and deeply meaningful experience.

For Jewish parents, it’s also a powerful opportunity to shape the next generation with pride, identity, and tradition. That’s the inspiration behind JParent, a dynamic new initiative funded by the Tepper Foundation, designed to support parents as they explore and deepen their Jewish journey.

The Tepper Foundation, which has a rich history of supporting Jewish causes and community-building efforts, selected several JCCs (Jewish Community Centers) across the country to receive this impactful grant. These JCCs were chosen for their commitment to engaging Jewish families and offering innovative, meaningful programming. We’re incredibly proud that our JCC was chosen to be a part of this nationwide initiative, and we’re excited to share it with all of you!

Through creative, adults-only events, J Parent offers something rare: space to reflect, learn, and have fun just for you. This year, we’ve hosted a variety of engaging gatherings like “Triumphs and Triangles”—our lively Purim celebration at Kecco’s Woodfire Grill complete with costumes, triangle-shaped foods, and surprising conversations about Purim’s deeper stories. Or “Last Call Before Passover,” where we met at a local brewery to share creative ways of making our seders more personal, meaningful, and kid-friendly.

Each event is thoughtfully designed to bring tradition to life in fresh, relevant ways, whether it’s a Parents’ Night Out at a local hotspot or a holiday-inspired experience that sparks new perspectives and lasting connections.

I’m excited and honored to be part of launching this incredible program. Growing up, I was often the only Jewish kid in the room, and I carried a quiet anxiety, always aware and wondering how others saw me. Then, I moved to Baltimore, and suddenly I was surrounded by Jews. But surprisingly, that brought on a different kind of insecurity: Was I Jewish enough? Did I belong here too?

What I hope this program conveys to every parent raising Jewish children is that if you are showing up, trying, and genuinely care about raising proud, confident Jewish children, then you are enough. There’s no one right way to be Jewish, and J Parent is here to support you on your unique journey.

Looking ahead, we’re thrilled to continue expanding, offering even more inspiring events and reaching new markets, all while empowering Jewish parents to nurture a deeper, more meaningful connection to their traditions.

So whether you’re reconnecting with your roots or looking to raise proud Jewish children with confidence and curiosity, J Parent is here for you!

For more information about J Parent, please visit JParent: Inspiring the Next Generation