(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…
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(This letter originally appeared in my Mixed and Matched column in the J-weekly on April 14, 2021) Dear Dawn, I am from an interfaith family; my dad isn’t Jewish. I was raised and identify as Orthodox. Jews assume that it must be OK to criticize Orthodox Jews to my face. When they realize they are…
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(This letter originally appeared in my Mixed and Matched column for the J-weekly on Nov. 17, 2020) Dear Dawn: Can I first say how impactful and helpful I have found your writing? I am a non-Jew in a relationship with a Jewish man. I love him, and his Orthodox identity is a big part of…
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Dear Dawn: My dad is my Jewish parent and I was raised Reform. Being a “patrilineal Jew” was never discussed in my shul. My dad did tell me more traditional Jews wouldn’t accept me as Jewish, but honestly he seems more angry than helpful. In college I learned more about my status as I was…
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(This letter is from my Mixed and Matched column in the J-weekly and appeared Jan. 19, 2021.) Dear Dawn: My uncle recently had his DNA tested, and it turns out that we are from Jewish lineage. I had always wondered because my mother’s great-grandfather’s last name was Jewish. I’m trying to find out more about…
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