Jewish community trying to make room for interfaith couples

[confuzzled dude]

"After decades of opposing — overtly or subtly — interfaith marriage, much of U.S. Judaism is finding ways to embrace such families. It took a modern interfaith marriage rate nearing 60 percent, the fleeing of young Jews from institutional affiliation and a broadening of the idea of a “Jewish” home — from a place filled with Jews to one engaged richly with the religion’s practice and teaching, regardless of whether everyone there belongs to the faith."

"Five years ago, none of the four rabbis at Temple Sinai, one of the largest D.C. area synagogues, would perform interfaith marriages for its Reform community, which is about one-third interfaith and prides itself in being welcoming. The congregation demanded a change, and now all four of the new rabbis officiate with certain conditions, such as requiring couples to affirm they will create a Jewish home."

"Under traditional Jewish law, non-Jews can’t be part of the legal document that is a marriage contract. As a result, they can’t have additional honors that come with it, including an “auf ruf,” which is a custom, or honor, of calling a couple to read blessings from the Torah on the Sabbath at synagogue before their marriage."

"Marci, a teacher from Germantown who didn’t want her last name used, said she was welcomed at a local synagogue as a non-member when she and her husband, who was raised Catholic, came for a baby-naming blessing for their daughter. The rabbi agreed to do the blessing, she said, but many people at the meal afterward asked when her husband would be converting. They didn’t join. "It made me feel kind of embarrassed, like this is a really bad image of the religion I grew up with,” said Marci, who has two daughters. “Like we were unwelcome, it was all-or-nothing kind of thing." "

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/synagogues-try-to-change-with-the-interfaith-times--without-going-too-far/2014/08/09/e2ebe97c-1273-11e4-8936-26932bcfd6ed_story.html?hpid=z4

[Marathadi-Saamiyaar]

The best couple would be jewish-hindu combo. strictly, neither religion will recognize the other...and both will bicker until death do them apart...