Dear Dawn: I was raised Reform and fit in fine at my congregation. But at college I met Jews with a lot of religious education, and when they learned my mom isn’t Jewish, they told me that I’m not Jewish — even quoting halachah to prove it. It was incredibly upsetting. I know now that I…
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(This originally appeared in my Mixed and Matched column on Oct. 28, 2019) Dear Dawn: My mom was Jewish and converted to Christianity; my dad was born Christian. They raised me and my siblings Christian. It never fit for me and now I want to be Jewish. I approached my local Reform congregation and the rabbi…
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(This article originally appeared in the J-weekly and was titled: Seeking acceptance in one faith after being raised with two) The idea of a child of interfaith parents being educated in both Judaism and Christianity and then being “allowed to choose” sounds very New Age to many ears. The book “Being Both” by Susan Katz…
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(This article originally appeared in my Mixed and Matched column for the J-weekly Aug. 28, 2020) Dear Dawn: My father is Jewish and my mother is not. I had no religious upbringing at all. Neither of my parents is interested in religion. However, as I get older, I am now in my 30s, I am more…
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Dear Dawn: You wrote previously about a couple where one partner is Jewish and the other claims to be an atheist. But the atheist still had “warm” feelings for his church. My boyfriend is a true atheist and dislikes all religion. He doesn’t have any warm memories of community or shared holidays. He thinks religion is just…
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Dear Dawn: I’m the daughter of a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother who raised me with no religion. Finding my way into Judaism has been difficult and, at times, painful. My partner, Tom, was raised Christian and is now an atheist. While he has warm feelings for his church, he no longer belongs. When discussing how…
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