In the 1990’s, glory days of Interfaith Outreach, the American Jewish community was intently focused on successful approaches to teaching Judaism to children from interfaith homes. In their 1996 book, I Went to My Cousin’s Crispening, Margie Zeskind and Sheilia Silverberg were among the first Jewish educators to help Hebrew school teachers deal with the…
Read More »Adult Child of an Interfaith Family
How Dare People Say I’m Not Jewish!
What are the challenges that patralineal Jews face regarding their identity as Jews? Here are some of the things they have to say: My dad is Jewish, my mom is not. I was adopted and raised Jewish. My mom had a Reform conversion. Why do people tell us we aren’t Jewish? Are you annoyed, hurt,…
Read More »Books for adolescents on interfaith families
Then… Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret feels solidly set in 1970, the year of its publication. The interfaith issues are, by now, stereotypical – the Christian family that disowns their daughter for marrying a Jew and the distracted Jewish father who has no interest in religion and is usually at work. If you…
Read More »Preparing for Bar/Bat Mitzvah for Interfaith Families
Planning a b’nai mitzvah is stressful enough if you had one yourself, but if you weren’t raised Jewish it can be truly nerve wracking. There are the questions of how the study process works, timing, sessions, amount to be learned, how to help your child succeed. Then there’s the non-Jewish partner and extended family. How…
Read More »Are Our Children Jewish?
Patralineal Descent, Reform Judaism & Those Other Jews In 1983 the Reform movement officially recognized children of Jewish fathers as Jewish. But if you read the statement it says that every child of a mixed marriage, whether the mother or father is Jewish, must establish their identity as a Jew “through appropriate and timely public…
Read More »Coming this Spring…
The Spring 2015 line up of Building Jewish Bridges workshops and classes! January What’s in a Jewish Name? Join B’nai Tikvah congregants for services on Friday January 9 at 6:30pm, when I will be speaking in the sermon slot. My subject is the special place name and naming rituals holds in Jewish tradition. This dovetails…
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