Tag Archives: culture

Book Review: Cross Cultural Adoption

“Cross-Cultural Adoption: How to Answer Questions from Family, Friends and Community” by Amy Coughlin and Caryn Abramowitz If you adopt internationally, then you are adopting cross-culturally. This is true even if the child you adopt has the same skin color as you do. Because of this, it is important for families to take the time to embrace the culture of their adopted child. Also, we need to be prepared for the questions that family, friends and community will have about our adoptive family, how it was formed and what it means to our child. The book “Cross-Cultural Adoption: How to … Continue reading →

When Two Faiths Marry

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When it comes to marriage, we often refer to the ceremony as the bonds of holy matrimony. For many people, every part of that phrase has meaning – specifically the holy part. So what can you do when you and your fiancé are of two different faiths? What options do you have? Religion and politics are considered the two most divisive topics in the world when it comes to relationships. There are some faiths that counsel against marrying outside the faith in order to promote and preserve harmony in the relationship. However, it’s up to you who you marry and … Continue reading →

Fa’a Keriso vs. Fa’a Samoa

The Way of Christ versus Cultural and Family Traditions. Years ago I was privileged to hear actor, Al Harrington (Hawaii 5-0, White Fang and numerous t.v. shows) speak to a group of youth. His main focus was Fa’a Keriso, his main message, “Strip away all that cannot coexist within the Culture of Christ.” As of late, my husband and I have discussed this quite frequently. We belong to an ethnic (Samoan) ward – we were hijacked really, from our conventional ward into the brand-new Samoan ward formed in our city. My husband’s greatest concerns were that the offices of chief … Continue reading →

Protocol for Visiting a Muslim Home

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Whether you are Muslim or not, you could find yourself invited to a Muslim home. There are certain rules of etiquette you should be aware of. Although your Muslim hosts will understand if you inadvertently slip up, they will be impressed that you took the time to learn their ways. [h]Should You Bring a Gift?[/h] While it is certainly not mandatory to bring a gift while visiting, it is a nice touch. Most Muslims do bring a token gift when invited for a meal. Many also bring a gift on the first visit. So, what should you bring? If you … Continue reading →

The Culture of Judaism

Judaism is full of many things. For example, spirit, foods, humor; but all of these things together represent an overwhelming amount of culture. Judaism can be represented by the word culture in so many ways from the foods we eat to the family values to our pride in being a Jew. People find our opinions, accents, outlooks to be wide and various, but especially humorous. The culture of Judaism is very loving and accepting. We love to help people, to share stories with friends, strangers, anyone who will listen half the time. What can we say, “We’re Yentas!!!” As being … Continue reading →

What is a JCC?

A Jewish Community Center (JCC) is a facility where several people can come together as a community. A JCC represents a feeling of home for kids, families, teenagers, singles, seniors and everyone in between. The JCC offers numerous activities and is known for an activity center with a work out room, basketball courts, swimming pool, indoor track, and more! The JCC offers several activities for all ages from infant to senior citizens. Ranging from camps, karate classes, swimming lessons, swim team and teen hang out nights; a Jewish Community Center also gives a strong concept of belonging. My experience with … Continue reading →