Most couples’ conflict is not about religion, even in an interfaith relationship. However, it is certainly possible to use your religious differences to shoot holes in your relationship. Let me tell you about a very effective way to do that, and hopefully you can avoid it. Many non-Jewish Americans are not aware of how Christianized…
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American Folkloric Christianity
(image from www.realmomkitchen.com) Growing up with no specific religion in the United States can lead many people to claim, “I have no religion. I’m certainly NOT a Christian.” They look at what they would term “real Christians” and they see the difference to be that those folks go to church, believe in Jesus as savior,…
Read More »Shavuot: What is it?
I love Shavuot. It is one of the three pilgrimage holidays when Jews in ancient times traveled to Jerusalem to offer a special sacrifice at the Temple. If you read Arthur Waskow’s Seasons of our Joy, you’ll learn about the activities that took place in the ancient Temple. It was magnificent and makes you want…
Read More »What does it mean to be ‘Spiritual’?
Many people identify as spiritual but not religious. In conversation the word, spiritual, has come to mean a sort of vague ‘good’ that isn’t focused on anything and has responsibility to no one. When I ask what that means to them, they typically say, something like, “I believe there is a force greater than us.”…
Read More »Second Chances & Changes of Mind
Pesach Shini (Second Passover) comes exactly one month after Passover. It is found in the Torah in Numbers 9:1 – 14. It’s historical purpose was to prove an opportunity to observe Passover for anyone who was unable to do so at the correct time due to ritual impurity or because they were too far away…
Read More »The Joys and Challenges of Raising Jewish Children in Interfaith Families
For Interfaith, intercultural families and those who love them Children offer us the remarkable opportunity to become our better selves. They challenge our assumptions, our patience, and our certainty. They also fill us with pride, worry, joy and a reason to make sacrifices. In a generation that has tried to balance freedom with discipline, children’s…
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