Dear Dawn: I moved in with my Jewish boyfriend in July. At that time, I agreed not to have Christmas in our apartment. Now I’m having second thoughts. I do Passover and Hanukkah with him. Christmas is just one day a year and I have so many beloved traditions. For me, getting and decorating the tree, shopping…
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Dear Dawn: How many times do I have to hear a Jewish parent worry about the future of their child’s romance with a non-Jew? At a recent lunch with several Jewish girlfriends, one worried out loud about her son’s non-Jewish girlfriend. There is always this focus on the non-Jewish girlfriend/boyfriend’s perceived level of interest (or lack…
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I received a number of comments on my March 26 Mixed and Matched column about an 11-year-old who wants a bat mitzvah but would be starting from scratch because she has not been raised Jewish. I’d like to reply to all of you: “A bat mitzvah need not take place at age 13. You can have a…
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My practicing Christian husband and I have two girls. Our oldest will be 11 in the fall and has announced that we must join a synagogue and give her a bat mitzvah. I was raised Reform and didn’t have a bat mitzvah, though I was confirmed. We haven’t done anything to raise them with religion,…
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I received the following letter and answered it in my column because it is such a common question. The J weekly gave it a different headline; one that didn’t really speak to the question. Individuals seeking a Jewish conversion often believe that they want an Orthodox conversion, but seldom know what that really means. …
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(The headline given to this article online at J weekly in my Mixed and Matched column was written by someone who did not convert to Judaism. They meant well, but missed the point of the letter. This is not about changing shuls; it’s about changing one’s identity. Please forgive the confusion.) Dear Dawn: I am single…
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