When my husband and I found out we were pregnant, we decided even though we were an interfaith couple we wanted to raise our daughter in a Jewish household—only we had no idea where to start! Not only were we having our first baby and didn’t know what to expect, we were also struggling to find our place in the Denver Jewish community.
To give you a little background, I grew up in an interfaith household and had little exposure to the Jewish community outside of JCC Ranch Camp.
We decided to go to the JCC and see if they offered any programs that may be able to help us. That’s where we heard about Jewish Baby University—a wonderful program that offered information about what to expect when expecting, with a light sprinkle of Judaism.
This program was literally life changing for us.
Initially, my husband, who is not Jewish, was worried he would feel awkward and unwelcome in a Jewish birthing class. The JBU program was the exact opposite of this!
We were in a group with seven other families. We quickly became fast friends with the other expecting parents and were able to go through the life-changing event of having babies, together.
Not only did this class give us a Jewish foundation to build upon, but it also helped us both understand and feel comfortable with the birthing process. Throughout this class, we were given the tools to prepare for our daughter’s arrival, plant roots in our community, and gain what I consider a family. To this day, we’re still in close contact with all of the other JBU families and get together frequently.
Since then, my family and I have taken several classes through the JCC Family Engagement department, and they’ve been very educational for us and our daughter, who is now almost two years old.
I would recommend this class to anyone who is expecting, and I want everyone to know what a welcoming, warm, and educational experience the JBU program offers.
Kelsey Seaman, JBU Participant
