This is the kind of email I LOVE to receive. Hello Dawn! I went to my first Shabbat services today since I was a little kid, as we discussed. I was beyond nervous all morning and honestly, almost pulled out of the parking lot as soon as I got there because I was so anxious….
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I have meant to share this with you for some time. Working with Dr. Bruce Phillips to prepare a lecture for the Union for Reform Judaism we presented data from our interviews with adults from interfaith families. Our Jewish world – in this case the Reform movement – is woefully lacking in honest assessment and…
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Jews of Color: Taking Charge of Your Jewish Identity It is not unusual for a Jew of color to be asked, “How did you get to be Jewish?” Quite simply the question stems from their appearance – “You don’t look Jewish.” There are a number of ways that an adult from a biracial Jewish or…
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(One of these girls has a Jewish mother.) IF YOU MISSED THIS PROGRAM BUT ARE INTERESTED, YOU CAN WATCH IT ON YOUTUBE HERE. Every child needs to understand where they come from. If you are raising your child as a Jew but one parent is not Jewish it is essential that you teach your child…
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(This article originally appeared in my J-weekly column, Mixed and Matched on September 28, 2021) Dear Dawn: My mom was raised noncommittal Christian and my dad was raised noncommittal Jewish. Around the time I was born, my dad was exploring Judaism and he wanted to raise me, and later my little brother, as Jews. My parents…
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(This column for Mixed and Matched in the J-weekly originally appeared May 4, 2021) I was delighted by the many responses to my April column, “At a loss after my rabbi said I’m not allowed to read Torah.” Let’s walk through the concerns that were raised. One man wrote, “You need to tell the Conservative…
Read More »Our weekly email goes out to hundreds of interfaith couples & families in the Bay Area. Topics cover the many questions and mysteries that interfaith couples want answered.