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What do other Jewish moms do with their babies?

I have a six month old baby. I want her to learn Torah from the first words she speaks.

I don't live around other Jewish people, we've only been religious a few years and my Hebrew is broken.

I do Shabbat blessings, we say Modeh Ani together in the morning, I have her with me when I say Shema. We wash our hands together in the morning ...she thinks its funny splashing right to left and we really bond.

She was born on Moshe's birth/death day and she's my little perfect person. I want to give her the best.

What do other Jewish moms do with their babies to help them to grow up with a love for Torah and Hebrew?

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    When we put our children to bed, we said shma with them even before they could speak. Thus, they grew up hearing it and saying it from the beginning. Also whenever you do something, say what you are doing out loud and say everything with here. When your husband builds the succa let her watch and help witht he decorations. By her a toy lulav and esrog. etc.
    – sabbahillel
    Aug 18, 2016 at 17:52
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    This seems like a very broad question.
    – mevaqesh
    Aug 25, 2016 at 18:03
  • ichossid.com/Print/PDFs/chinuch.pdf
    – SAH
    Aug 25, 2016 at 20:06

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I think you are doing all the right things for this age - washing her hands, saying Modeh Ani and Shema with her. Once she begins to speak, start saying Torah Tziva with her each morning.

It is worth buying some Jewish age-appropriate books where she sees other children keeping Shabbos etc. And, at this age, what you do yourself is probably the greatest influence - start making brachos aloud if you don't already and she will mimic you when she gets old enough.

In my opinion, the best thing you can do for her (and yourselves) is to plan on moving somewhere with a strong Jewish community where she will be able to attend a religious pre-school and have religious friends.

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  • Thank you Miriam for all of the great suggestions. I have started the bad habits of saying brachos too quickly and quietly and now that she's eating we should be doing that every day too! Moving isn't an option right now, we just moved From a Jewish area to here. I don't know what G-d's plan for us is but we're "The Jewish Family" in our small town.
    – Rebecca Burns
    Aug 17, 2016 at 12:34
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On a more sourced based note, The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in Siman 165:10 says:

(Partial Quote courtesy of Sefaria)

מִיָד כְּשֶׁהַתִּינוֹק מַתְחִיל לְדַבֵּר, יְלַמְּדוֹ הַפָּסוּק תּוֹרָה צִוָּה לָנוּ משֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה וְגוֹ', וְכֵן פָּסוּק שְׁמַע יִשְֹרָאֵל וְגוֹ' (רַק יִזָּהֵר מְאֹד שֶׁיְהֵא הַתִּינוֹק נָקִי בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא מְלַמֵּד אוֹתוֹ) (עַיֵן לְעֵיל סִימָן ה סָעִיף ג). וְכֵן מְלַמְּדוֹ מְעַט מְעַט אֵיזֶה פְסוּקִים עַד שֶׁיַגִּיעַ בְכֹחוֹ לָלֶכֶת אֶל בֵּית הַסֵפֶר, וְאָז ישְׂכֹּר לוֹ מְלַמֵּד. וִידַקְדֵּק לִבְחוֹר מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהוּא יְרֵא שָמַיִם, לְמַעַן יַרְגִּיל אֶת הַתִּינוֹק מִנְעוּרָיו בְּיִרְאַת שָׁמָיִם

As soon as the child begins to speak you should first teach him the verse "The Torah was commanded to us by Moses etc" (Deut. 33:4) and similarly the Verse "Hear, Oh Israel etc" (Deut 6:4)(However be very careful that the child should be clean [of filth] in the time of teaching him (see earlier in Siman 5:3). Also teach him little by little, similar verses until he has the ability to go to school, and then hire for him a teacher. Be careful in choosing a teacher who possesses fear of heaven, so that the child will be accustomed from his youth to have fear of heaven from his youth...

Hope this can be resourceful!

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  • I will do my best thank you. I live in a small town with very few options. We're literally stuck here where there are no observant Jews to learn from and we've only been religious for almost three years. I don't even know if I'm pronouncing things correctly. My next town over Chabad Rabbi told me just to be a good mom and if my children want to be Jewish then worry about it. I cry every day trying to learn on my own. I desperately miss Toronto and Danforth Beaches Chabad. Thank you so so much for helping us.
    – Rebecca Burns
    Aug 26, 2016 at 0:10

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