The Key West citizen., 1954-12-08
Rabbi Urges
Family Church
Attendance

Rabbi Abraham Schwartz, spiri-
tual leader Of B'nai Zion congre-
cation, has issued a reminder to
parents Of the importance Of see
ing to it that children attend
church.
The Rabbi quoted a passage
from the Talmud, sacred writing
of the Jewish people, which stress
es the fact that children follow the
leading of their parents. A child,
he says, at least at the beginning
Of its life, follows the parents in
their routine.
After the child reaches the age in
which he becomes involved In life
outside the home, Schwartz con-
tinued, even though he sees people
who do otherwise than he was
taught by his parents, he viii have
already formed strong habits and
Is not likely to be misled by friends.
Tbs Is especially true of the
"church-minded' habit.
When a child does not see his
parents attend church, the Rabbi
pointed out, he has nothing to fol-
low In the way Of church customs.
Many times, he added, the child's
school teacher is also not a church
goer, so this child has no leader
ship to follow along this inc. He
sees peope engaged only in the pur-
suit of physical pleasure, such as
games, parties, movies, shows, etc.,
and he becomes imbued with the
idea that is all of life that there
are not higher, noble principles.
I'm another community in which
! was a clergyman" Rabbi Sch
wartz said, II had as neighbors
q family named Smith who had
eight sons. Every Sunday Mr..
Smith, with all his sons, attended
church.
Zone day while / was having
neighborly chat with Mr.. Smith,
asked him about this church-go-
ing habit. Mr.. Smith, / said, do
you command your sons to 60 to
church with your
'Oh no. he replied. s0n Sun
day morning, just say ! am go
ing to church, and the boys fol-
low me. My wife and have always
gone to church."
OF course it is true, the Rabbi
went on, that in some cases even
children who are led in the right
paths viii go astray, but these are
the exceptions rather than the gen.
eral rule.
Friends" he said, ''let US not
kid ourselves. If parents never at
tend church, or perhaps 60 only on
Christmas or New Years, or as /
said above If some of our school
teachers never 60 to church, what
do we expect our children to do?"
He pointed out that in many cas-
es of juvenioe delinquency, the root
of the trouble lies in the, fact that
the child was reared with the idea
that life consists only Of physical
and material pleasures. No matter
what their economic burdens, ne
feels that parents should still de-
vote at least one hour out of the
week to 80 to the church or sy-
nagague to point out to their chill
dren the beautiful truth that life
does not consist Of physical plea
sure alone.
He does not advocate doing a.
way with physical pleasure, the
Rabbi said. He merely wants peo-
pie to seek to strike a balance of
the important things in life SO that
by the time he is grown up, a child
will have tasted both cups of the
good old wine which nourishes all
In life, not just one.
In summing up his comments,
the Rabbi said that If we aim and
strive to raise our children in the
right way, then surely our cons
ciences win never bother us when
the children are grown up. We can
always remain proud Of our fine
young generation Of Americans.