What is it like to participant in an interfaith/intercultural couples discussion group? Here’s one couples’ response. I am a practicing Orthodox Jew, and Birger is a Norwegian-heritage agnostic. We got engaged in August 2006 after a whirlwind courtship, and we planned to be married the following January. It was very important to me that we…
Read More »Relationships
Interfaith/Intercultural Couples Discussion Group
Interfaith/Intercultural couples have unique questions and needs. They may know they need to ask questions but not be sure just what those questions should be. Make the process easier by joining other couples negotiating similar concerns. Create an outline of how to approach a conversation with your partner that is honest, caring, and supportive. This…
Read More »Finding Your Own Way
Recently I was with a couple of women, each of whom is married to a non-Jewish man. The first, I’ll call her Lisa, expressed her opinions with great intensity. She had strong beliefs on how to deal with an interfaith marriage, what to do, how to act, what to teach your children, how to…
Read More »Interfaith/Intercultural Couples Discussion Group
Interfaith/Intercultural couples are usually aware that they will have to negotiate differences in their religions, but they may be surprised by needing to navigate cultural differences regarding communication, parenting, parents, and their definition of community. Make the process easier by engaging with other couples facing similar questions. Create an outline of how to approach a…
Read More »The Joys and Challenges of Raising Jewish Children in Interfaith Families
For Interfaith, intercultural families and those who love them Children offer us the remarkable opportunity to become our better selves. They challenge our assumptions, our patience, and our certainty. They also fill us with pride, worry, joy and a reason to make sacrifices. In a generation that has tried to balance freedom with discipline, children’s…
Read More »Ladies First!
Gender Roles in our Homes I was running a program for women only (Women in Interfaith Relationships) and a young non-Jewish mother began to cry as she explained that she had agreed to raise her children as Jews before she got married but in fact she had no idea how to do that. The women…
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