Shalom כיתת קשת Kitat Keshet!
Thank you for your insightful and thoughtful class discussion this morning. To continue the conversation, please share your thoughts about the following readings (also handed out in class)
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, Outreach to interfaith families strengthens the Jewish future:
A Jewish Father's Plea: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Op-Ed-Contributors/A-Jewish-fathers-plea
Also, how do you see עם ישראל (the Jewish People) sustaining our identity as Jews living in the diaspora?
Your response should be a minimum of three sentences.
The first article, “Outreach to interfaith families strengthens the Jewish future” contained a more liberal viewpoint. The author believed that outreach was a better way of strengthening the Jewish community than prohibiting intermarriage, especially since it is a non-exclusive solution. The article only briefly addresses the topic of assimilation due to intermarriage, by saying it is not a problem rather than a wonderful effect of the open society we have today. However, there is a problem of assimilation due to intermarriage and the second article, “A Jewish Father’s Plea”, addresses them from a conservative perspective. The author of the second article believes that to marry a non-Jew will hurt the Jewish people and your own Jewish identity. He believes the Jewish values should come before anything else, even love, and should be passed on to ones children no matter what. Jews living in the Diaspora should maintain their Jewish identities by refusing to assimilate to other cultures. Jews need to maintain meaningful Jewish traditions such as going to temple, studying Torah, and celebrating actual important Jewish holidays such as Yom Kippur, rather than Hanukkah. Refusing to let ourselves become more American than Jewish is the first preventative step. Then we need to do things to help grow and strengthen our own personal Jewish identities and our Jewish community.
ReplyDeleteAlso I forgot to say in my original comment, but I agree with the second one in that it is important to marry a Jew to avoid assimilation, and disagree that outreach is a truly effective way to expand the Jewish community.
DeleteI definitely have mixed feelings about these readings. The Father's Plea article was interesting because I never thought of intermarriage as "bringing about the end of a proud Jewish line." That makes it sound like a purposeful attack on Judaism, which I don't think it is. In general, I feel strongly that Jews should try to marry other Jews, both to help Judaism as a whole and their potential children but also considering that they have a similar lifestyle already. However, I also support love. If you fall in love with someone, you shouldn't have to deny yourself or the other person a life together because of your religion. I guess, overall, I agree with the father's plea article in ideology but not as harshly or severely as it is written. However, I know that intermarriage is going to continue happening, so I agree with Rabbi Rick Jacobs that we should be inclusive of intermarried families, and we should help encourage these families to raise their kids in a Jewish environment. We should encourage marrying within Judaism, yet we should be supportive of those who choose not to.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe article, "A Jewish Father's Plea," exprssed how important it is that Jews marry other Jews in order to ensure the future of Judiasm. I do agree with this article in the sense that it is important to marry somone Jewish to keep the religion alive. However, as a whole I do not agree with this article because I support the idea of loving who ever one desires. You can not always control or choose who you love, and religion should not be the main factor. The second article, "Op-Ed: Outreach to intefaith families strengthens the Jewish future," discuses the reality of intermarried families. I agree with Rabbi Rick Jacobs that we need to be inclusive of intermarried families, but encourage them to raise their kids Jewish. I am a supporter of intermarriage, love over religion, but we should continue to encourage families to raise Jewish kids in order to ensure the future of Judiasm.
ReplyDeleteI found both articles to be thought provoking. I'm not sure how much they have impacted my personal view of intermarriage, but nonetheless they bring up good points. In the article that Rabbi Rick Jacobs wrote, I understand some of the things he says, yet he seems to neglect the fact that some young jews are lost due to assimilation, or simply not caring about raising kids jewishly in an interfaith household. "A Jewish Father's Plea," on the other hand, is the complete opposite end of the spectrum. I agree more with it than the other article, but not completely. I do think its important to marry someone Jewish, but as long as the children are raised Jewish, it is not as important to me. Personally, I am planning on marrying someone Jewish, or my future spouse converting, but I know this doesn't apply to all people. My last observation is that the Jewish people aren't what we'd call a growing religion. It is necessary for the future of our religion that the next generation and generations to come are raised Jewishly, and plan on raising their own children Jewishly.
ReplyDeleteI found both articles to be thought provoking. I'm not sure how much they have impacted my personal view of intermarriage, but nonetheless they bring up good points. In the article that Rabbi Rick Jacobs wrote, I understand some of the things he says, yet he seems to neglect the fact that some young jews are lost due to assimilation, or simply not caring about raising kids jewishly in an interfaith household. "A Jewish Father's Plea," on the other hand, is the complete opposite end of the spectrum. I agree more with it than the other article, but not completely. I do think its important to marry someone Jewish, but as long as the children are raised Jewish, it is not as important to me. Personally, I am planning on marrying someone Jewish, or my future spouse converting, but I know this doesn't apply to all people. My last observation is that the Jewish people aren't what we'd call a growing religion. It is necessary for the future of our religion that the next generation and generations to come are raised Jewishly, and plan on raising their own children Jewishly.
ReplyDeleteThe first article, Outreach to interfaith families strengthens the Jewish Future”, discusses how we should welcome people of interfaith backgrounds. I strongly agree because Judaism is a House For All People, so discouraging enthusiastic people atet identify as Jewish would be a mistake. In addition, in our modern day society, interfaith Jews make up a large part of the Jewish religion and culture and we would not be thriving if it wasn’t for them. Who can say that someone isn’t Jewish? I completely disagree with the second article: “A Jewish Father’s Plea”. He wrote this article to his son saying that he should not marry outside of the Jewish faith. In my opinion, love is love and it should never be hindered by religion, hate, or inequalities. If it is important to you, you can raise your kids in a Jewish setting, but religion is a very personal choice and you still can raise your kids Jewish even if your spouse is not. Likewise he said, “But if she isn't Jewish, I know there will be tears, in your mother's eyes and mine - and also in heaven.”, which is wrong since you should support your kid no matter what and be happy for them as long as they are happy. I believe the Jewish people will sustain our identity as Jews by practicing Judaism freely and educating others on it. I believe it is okay to celebrate holidays outside our faith as long as we continue to observe our holidays. I believe it is okay to marry someone not Jewish as long as we practice the Jewish values of love, kindness, and tolerance. Judaism can be carried on by anyone whether they have a tree in their house once a year.
ReplyDeleteI feel that "A Jewish Father's Plea" is a very harsh perspective on the ideologies of the intermarriage side. To start, it seems to force Judaism on the son, Sean. The author first states "being Jewish isn't a burden," but he then continues to state "You can't just ignore the meaning of something like that. It's a responsibility," (Shafran). Clearly this author mixed up one of the two definitions. In addition, as mentioned in numerous other comments, I assume, the author states that "there will be tears [...] in heaven," (Shafran). It's like convicting someone to hell in modern times, it's saying that if he takes this action, he is no longer a Jew, he's an outcast. These two points weren't just to say that the idea is wrong, in fact, I'm not quite sure about the topic, but I do think that this ideology and this way of thinking is much too harsh for a father to force this ideology on his child. The Rabbi forces the idea of choice out of Sean's hands, which is definitely wrong, and more likely than not, Sean would have married someone Jewish anyways, seeing as Judaism plays a big role in his life. The other story takes a much less direct tone and comments on the ideas rather than directly stating what is right and what is wrong. Though it does have a clear bias, it doesn't outright state that it will ruin any hopes we have for the future. They suggest that intermarriage should be definite, and that people will teach their children the Jewish way if they experience positive effects of Judaism throughout their life. This article takes on a much more positive outlook, with hope rather than worry, which makes me think that it is the correct argument.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with “A Jewish Fathers Plea” that intermarriage generally does result in the assimilation of the practices and culture of Judaism. With intermarriage one parent usually gives up their religion to insure that their children grow up with one strong belief. This happened to my family. My Mom converted from Christianity to Judaism because raising a Jewish family was important to my Dad. Although my mom was not a strong Christian she completely changed her religion practices and assimilated into Jewish culture. This happens in reverse in many families. The one parent gives up Judaism in order to appease their spouse thus raising a family in another religion. With a marriage between two Jews, if the spouses are practicing and committed, the survival and future of Judaism is more secure. Even though I understand the reality of this viewpoint I don’t believe that intermarriage should be looked down upon and scorned by anyone, especially ones family members. I think that it is worth the effort to look for a Jewish spouse but if you find someone of a different religion that you love and want to spend the rest of your life with I say go for it. Religion should not trump love. In the article the father writes, “ But if she isn’t Jewish, I know there will be tears”. It is really sad that the father will not accept an intermarriage. A parent should love their child no matter what religion their spouse is. I believe that in reality it is impossible to stop interfaith marriages but
ReplyDeleteI really don’t want Judaism be a dying religion. That is why I really agree with what Rabbi Rick Jacobs says. Educating young Jews and making them enjoy and love their religion is a great way to build a new generation of dedicated Jews. This is a really mixed issue for me. I want Judaism to grow and prosper but I don’t want the force of same religion marriage to effect people’s life choices of love and happiness.
Coming from an interfaith family myself, of course I support them, and like to think of myself as proof that they could raise committed Jews who are active in the Jewish community. In the diaspora however, I feel that it is extremely important to continue to strengthen our identities. While it is important to mix and acculturate in the area that many Jewish communities are settled in, it is essential that we preserve our decreasing nation. It's strange to think of yourself belonging to a dying nation, however every generation, there are less and less Jews. While of course, marrying for love should be central theme in marriage, unfortunately I do not believe that it is what preserves marriages. To be married is a partnership and for it to succeed, the partners should agree. As coming from both an interfaith marriage and a marriage that ended in divorce, I have witnessed all the pros and cons of interfaith marriage religion and marriage in general. Not in any means am I against interfaith marriages, however, I would consider myself definitely leaning towards pro-intermarriage. In the article, "A Jewish Father's Plea," I felt myself very much agreeing with his points. To be a Jew is a gift and to continue the history of Am Yisrael is a blessing. However, I disagreed in his remarks about how he would be disappointed in his son if he married outside the nation. I would be disappointed if perhaps my child didn't marry another Jew, however I would not be disappointed that my child found someone they were happy with. In the Rabbi's article concerning support for intermarriage, my views were mixed. Well I do believe that the Jewish community should support all of the members and their spouses (Jew or Not), I disagree that they should encourage it and give it extra attention. While it is important to mix and be happy among other groups of people, the support for it should be relatively limited or quiet because whether you agree or not, it is a fact that the Jewish population around the world is losing number and its identity. Though interfaith marriages should be supported within the community I believe that encouraging them during our widespread diaspora, where other religions and cultures threaten ours, is actually harmful to the Jewish future, because it creates a lack of security for maintaining the Jewish identity generations down.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I am neither for nor against interfaith marriages. I even come from one myself. But I think that in the diaspora, seeing as there are less one percent of Jews, I think it's very important to maintain your Jewish identity. And if that means marrying a Jewish person then by all means go ahead. But if you decide to marry a non-jewish person go ahead as well. But, usually one person ends up sacrificing their relgion which I think is the main concern the father in "A Jewish father's plea" was voicing it was that as the Jewish people we cant afford to be the one to give up our relegion. Because simply identifying as Jewish isn't enough. Its the practices and traditions that keep Judaism alive and that's much easier to do if you and your spouse share the same faith.
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with either article. I am not against intermarraige because I was raised by intermarraiged parents and I wouldn't change it for the world. However, I don't feel that reaching out is the only way tosecure a large, Jewish future. I lean more towards the article "Op-Ed: Outreach to interfaith families strenthens the Jewish future" because it supports interfaith marraige. I do believe that "only our actions can create change", stated in the article I agree with. I don't believe that marrying out is direspectful and chips away at our Jewish future. I was raised with a christian dad yet I was raised full Jewish. Marraige to me is about love. If you truly love someone, religion shouldn't matter. I don't think we should change the parents in the Diaspora. I believe they are doing right by letting their kids choose their own future whether they agree with it or not. Yes, we can help lead parents to keeping their children on a Jewish path, but we shouldn't take any action that makes them feel forced.
ReplyDeleteIntermarriage can be a tricky subject (as shown in our class discussion and these articles). The idea that our religion is so small I think it is important to continue the traditions and community. I come from a family where both my parents are Jewish. The closest I really get to any other religion in my family are one uncle and one aunt. I find that these Jewish values and communities that I cherish so greatly are somewhat found in every religion. Do I think they are as special as the experiences I am having. Probably not. But that is okay
ReplyDeleteI think intermarriage is not a Jewish issue because I believe religion should not be a major factor in deciding who to marry. If you love someone enough to marry them and if they love you back then it should not be too hard to figure out what to do when deciding how to raise a kid. Also I don’t think a single person can speak for everyone about the subject of intermarriage. It is a very personal question and everyone’s situation is so different which makes it impossible to come up with a solution for everyone. If raising a Jewish family is a must have for you then I understand if you don’t want to marry a non jew. However as a rule of thumb I think marriage should be about love first and all other things last.
ReplyDeleteBoth articles make good points about the two points of view on intermarriage. I tend to agree more with the article by Rick Jacobs more because it talks about the importance of bringing in young people who may be involved in an interfaith marriage. Although it may be harder to teach children about Judaism while one parent is not Jewish it is still possible if both parents are committed. I do agree with the other article when it talks about the importance of teaching your children Judaism. I agree with it because it talks about the importance of continuing your family line of Judaism.
ReplyDeleteAlthough the idea of sustaining our peoplehood and our history sounds like a good idea at first glance, in reality it’s incredibly restrictive and oppressive towards the “gentiles” around us. When I was in 6th grade, I had a Christian “boyfriend”. I told my mom about him, and she told me that I should only really date Jewish boys, because that’s who I should marry. Young me was so confused, hadn’t my mom said that I could marry anyone who I loved? If she was okay with me marrying a woman, why wasn’t she okay with me marrying a non-Jew? Love should come before practicality, always, I decided then. That doesn’t mean that keeping tradition and history alive shouldn’t be a top priority of a Jew, it definitely should, and the Jew should work as hard as they can to live Jewishly and present that living Judaism to their children etc.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I don't have a totally formulated opinion on interfaith marriage. On one hand, marrying outside the religion does dilute the Jewish gene pool, but on the other hand, not marrying someone because of faith is discrimination. Judaism is more than the religion, its also the people and the lineage. Interfaith marriage creates a new generation that only caries half of the Jewish lineage. They only carry half of the Jewish genetics. But let's forget the racial aspect of Judaism. The new generation often identifies as "half Jewish". You can't half believe in one religion and half believe in the next. Then you don't follow any religion. But let's be real for a minute; who did Moses marry again? Oh that's right, our greatest prophet married the daughter of the high priest of Midian. Tzupora was a non Jew. Moses set the president for inter marriage and thus allowed for it in the religion. For me personally, Judaism is an outlet for spiritual and moral awakening. If my child feels the same, great, if not, also great. I would love for them to be Jewish, but I will never force it on them if they don't want to be. And limiting my preferences to a specific ethnic or religious group is discrimination. I will love who I love whether they are Jewish or not, and I will love my kids whether they are Jewish or not. But, interfaith marriage is not very good at keeping the religion strong and vibrant. Now I think the next question for me is: do I value my personal affection for someone or the duty I have to carry on the religion?
ReplyDelete