When a man converts to Judaism he must consider whether he will have a ritual circumcision or the ceremony of Hatafat Dam (the ritual drawing of a drop of blood). These procedures bring up a lot of confusion, concern, and even fear. This program will clear up myths and answer questions such as: Why does…
Read More »Adult Child of an Interfaith Family
When You are the ‘Other’ and other Purim events
Have you ever felt like you didn’t fit in? You were the ‘other’? There are many reasons for feeling, I’m out of place, or as a dear friend of mine says, I feel like an onion in a petunia patch. Here are some: I’m Catholic in a Jewish family; I’m Chinese and Jewish; I’m gay;…
Read More »Where We Are Heading?
Abi & Andy with their kids Lori Voices From Our Community Imagining What’s Next Activists, environmentalists, single mothers, Israelis, interfaith couples, Jews of color, spiritual seekers, grandchildren of Holocaust survivors, adopted, transgendered – describe anyone you know? Join us Sunday, Feb. 26, from 1-5 p.m. at the Oshman Family JCC in Palo Alto. I am…
Read More »Telling Interfaith Stories: A Writing Workshop
As the products of interfaith families, we have unique stories to tell. Join writer Rebecca Spence for a four-week workshop in which we’ll give voice to our experience. Through weekly discussions and creative writing exercises, we’ll explore the themes and narrative threads that arise when we allow ourselves the space. Born to an interfaith family…
Read More »What Color Are Jews?
This fall Building Jewish Bridges will be offering a series of panel discussions and classes on Jews of color. Studies of the bay area find that 14% of our Jewish community are Jews of color. That means that AT LEAST every tenth Jew you see is a multiracial Jew or lives in a multiracial family….
Read More »Asian and Jewish
What is it like to live with the assumption that you can’t possibly be Jewish? As there are more and more Asian Jews is the Jewish community getting any better at recognizing its own diversity? A panel of local Asian Jews (born Jewish, adopted, or converted) will discuss the experience of living in the bay…
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