We are who we are

I come from a traditional Jewish family and I emigrated from Brazil to Canada with my husband, who is also Jewish but never had a Jewish education, and our children. We put our children in the Jewish school in Montreal that we liked at the time.

My youngest son does not like sports at all. Today he is 13 years old. He loves acting and feels very comfortable on stage after having done many years of theater school at the Segal Center. In his first two years at school, many of the girls in his class went to drama class with him and his friendships were more with girls than boys. They all came to our house because we love to have guests. In his third year in Montreal, my son decided to take a chance and try playing soccer in the break time with the boys. And then our family drama began, as I had never predicted. He was constantly insulted by the boys who said that this was not his place, but rather he should be with the girls. He was constantly called a homosexual (I wouldn't have a problem if he was. My family is surrounded only by love and unity.) We went to psychologists and therapists. The school did absolutely nothing. The support was feeble. My son abandoned the theater that he loved so much.

My husband never believed in Jewish schools and for household peace we took our children out of Jewish schools. My son and all of us suffered a lot. Today he attends a neighborhood public school and has absolutely no friends there. He is the president of the class and of the volunteers. He suffered so much that it influenced the pedagogical aspect and although he was a good student, he was always sensitive and has not yet reached the level to be accepted in a private school.
A lot of people know me, so I wouldn't want my name to come up, but I definitely want to let other mothers and families like mine know that you are not alone. We need to let our children be who they are. We have to learn that it’s important to stand up for yourself and what you like. You don’t have to do what everyone else is doing just so that you fit in.