I last wrote about an event at our local JCC where we discussed the state of interfaith families in the Jewish community. Which was eye opening and all around a great night. It actually helped us to create a new interfaith group. After that night I had one on one meetings with leaders of the Jewish community. We talked about the ways to get interfaith couples and families involved and how to make the community more welcoming. From those I learned…
I haven’t written in a while. I feel like I’ve been totally missing from this blog. Which is funny because if there’s ever a time someone who writes an interfaith blog has a lot to say it’s December. And I did so many things that are a part of our interfaith story. I went to events, took part in conversations, finally spoke to J’s family about me, hosted a Hanukkah party and a Christmas party! I could sit down and…
Someone once asked me if J was religious. I said, not particularly, probably is more culturally Jewish. This person (who is against interfaith relationships) immediately went on a tirade about my in-laws as parents raising a Jew. If only they had been more involved in the synagogue. If only they had made him go to a Jewish day school or a Jewish summer camp. They should have fostered more of a Jewish identity in their home. If they had been clear intermarriage was…
I had a whole post written about this year’s Yom Kippur experience — how I assumed it would go. Spoiler alert: it was rough. I went to Kol Nidre services. Then I went to work where I had the hardest Yom Kippur of my life since I was, you know, actually working and not eating or drinking. Broke fast in the comfort of an edit room with all my coworkers during a last-minute meeting. None of them were fasting. All…
When I had lunch with a clergy spouse, it lead to an interfaith conversation. I can’t say I agreed with his feelings, but I understood them. New England is a weird place to move to. Especially if you move to a place that’s kind of far from a big city. J and I are lucky — we’ve made friends here because everyone we work with is a transplant. Those who aren’t in the same boat, struggle. This is how…
We had an exciting time this weekend since it was our first wedding as married people! Plus we got a side trip to the aquarium! It’s meant I’ve been spending a lot of time with my Jewish side. While I love them I think sometimes they forget we’re an interfaith couple. In the past, I would have taken this as a compliment, like I’m passing as the thing I want to be. But after everything we’ve been through I want to…
I’ve decided to invest more time into my writing and working on here. So as you can see Latkes and Lasagna got a little bit (ok a lot a bit) of a facelift! Thanks to Little Web Writing Hood for an absolutely fantastic look and help with everything! All my old blog posts will be migrating on over! I’m excited to continue on this journey! So get ready for some new posts and writing!…
Sometimes interfaith life can seem like we’re Sisyphus, where each time we think we’ve figured it out the boulder comes back down and we’re trying to figure it out again. We went from not caring about organized religions, to an almost Jewish couple, to decidedly interfaith leaning Jewish. It’s been the leaning Jewish part that’s been a struggle. You see, there’s a ton of interfaith websites out there to support you if you’ve chosen to practice Judaism. Interfaith resources where…
I very much enjoy Jewish holidays. It actually pains me that my life my fall is my busiest time at work AND not everyone has it off which means if I take it off I continually have this conversation: Where were you? It was Rosh Hashanah. Oh, you’re Jewish? No, my partner is. So why do you celebrate? An then I get to explain that when someone we loves celebrates something different than us, we’re there to support them because that’s…
Recently JTA published this article about the Rabbis at B’nai Jeshurun, an influential non-denominational New York City synagogue, deciding they would officiate the weddings of interfaith couples who commit to raising Jewish children and having a Jewish home. On the heels of that announcement, the Jewish Theological Seminary committed themselves to their ban on clergy officiating interfaith marriages. While the B’nai Jeshurun announcement wasn’t perfect by any means and proves we still have a long way to go in supporting…