Family Genogram Family and Consumer Science Essay

Family Genogram Family and Consumer Science - Essay Example The women respect their husband’s decisions but they have control over a lot of things, especially regarding their children. Having dinner together is only one of the many practices that Israeli families have. This tradition helps to make the family intact. Family is central to Israeli life. Raised in an Israeli family, I observed a number of family traditions that are uncommon to other cultures. In my 18 years of existence, I have seen how my parents give importance to our extended family. Coming from ancestors whose history is dimmed by the horrific events of the Holocaust, my parents, especially my mother, have always valued their siblings. They maintained connection with each other despite the geographical distances and preoccupations at work. For instance, my father makes it a point to communicate with his mother and two sisters every day. Every Friday, my grandmother lights up two candles before sunset and prepares dinner for the whole family. We go to our grandmotherâ⠂¬â„¢s house to have the Shabbat dinner where we spend time to get to know other Israelis. Most of my father’s relatives are in Israel; despite this, I and my cousins have established a close relationship by communicating a lot through Facebook. Moreover, we visit our relatives in Israel once a year, which gives me time to bond with my cousins and other relatives. As Lamanna and Riedman (5) claim, my family serves as the â€Å"center of love and support† (5). My parents provide my physical as well as emotional needs. They encourage me and my sister to tell stories at dinnertime but as it is with other teenagers, I feel more comfortable to tell stories to my cousins. My concept of family is that of an extended family composed of my immediate family, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. As a family, I and my cousins openly share our thoughts, dreams and experiences to each other. Although I am also close to my mother, the nature of the Israeli family makes it more c onvenient to open up to my cousins and because I am used to having an extended family, I can tell my cousins secrets and dreams, which I cannot tell my parents. I can relate well to the class discussion about individual and communal values. Our family has communal values that each member should uphold. These communal values which emphasize needs, goals, and identity of the group (Lamanna and Riedman 13) are mostly related to the Jewish culture. Each part of the family or group is important, for every one contributes to the Jewish society and culture. As members of the Jewish society, we have to act based on the values and laws set in our religion. Part of these laws is being a Batz Mitzvah. When I was thirteen, I was declared as a Batz Mitzvah. In the Jewish culture, this means being accountable for one’s actions and decisions, thus, the tradition is similar to considering young people to be in the legal age. At this point, I am expected to act and base my plans and decisions in accordance to our religion. I am not totally rebellious; in fact, I always find it sound to obey my parents because they only want what is best for me but there are times when my personal preferences would disagree with my parents’. Living in the American culture for more than 11 years, I cannot help but be influenced by my environment. Thus, there are times when I want to obtain something, like material things, but my parents would disagree, and