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June 15, 2001/Sivan 24, 5761, Vol. 53, No.37
Honor dadsEditorialIt becomes ever harder to define fatherhood and depict what it means to be a dad. The increasingly complex social landscape, with its vast changes in lifestyles and work styles, in roles and rules, has multiplied options even as it has blurred lines and confused expectations.Dads come in all shapes and sizes, all ages and professions. Some work outside the home, some stay at home to raise their children. Some are married, some are single. Data from the 2000 U.S. Census shows a striking increase in unmarried couples living together, and an increase in single-parent families. Nationally, there are 72 percent more unmarried-partner households than a decade ago, while homes headed by married couples have increased by just 7 percent. While pro-family groups, such as the Washington-based Family Research Council, express alarm at this finding and suggest it may lead to the demise of the traditional family, others bristle at the implication that children do not thrive in nonconventional families. President Bush's controversial nomination of Dr. Wade F. Horn to head the Department of Health and Human Services captured the fervor of the debate and its implicit contradictions. There is wisdom in Horn's ideal of "married fatherhood." Of course, as Horn suggests, children benefit from the love of two parents committed to each other and to the welfare of their offspring. But social change, even upheaval, is a reality. And while Horn's commitment to promoting marriage is laudable - and reflective of traditional Jewish ideals - what is most important is a commitment to responsible parenting. Being a dad provides a blessed opportunity to teach, to guide, to nurture. It means taking on the very Jewish responsibility of transmitting the enduring values of generations past to our sons and daughters, inculcating them with those ideals through word and deed. That's how we help our children develop moral and ethical codes strong enough to fortify them for whatever social change may come next. Father's Day is on June 17. Is there any more appropriate way to honor all the generations of our fathers? |
