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Synagogues and the Jewish Community and Interfaith Families Resources

You're in an interfaith relationship and considering joining a synagogue, but you're not sure how you'll be treated. Many in the organized Jewish community welcome interfaith families with open arms, but many do not. Learn about the Jewish community's complicated--and often flawed--approach to intermarriage in InterfaithFamily.com's archive of articles, resources and external links.

Helpful Documents on Synagogues and the Jewish Community and Interfaith Families

• Report: Young Interfaith Couples Find Welcome in the Jewish Community Through InterfaithFamily.com, A Recent Survey Reports
• A Position Paper: A Common Aspiration: The Promise of Peoplehood (PDF) by Barry Shrage, Combined Jewish Philanthropies

Recommended Articles on Synagogues and the Jewish Community and Interfaith Families

• Sojourners Among Us: Non-Jews in Jewish Life by David Regenspan
• Shuls Face Hard Questions About Non-Jews by Ami Eden
• Ger Toshav - Sources for Contemporary Application: A Proposal for Intermarried and other Allies in our Midst by Geela Rayzel Raphael
• What We Can Learn from Interfaith Families by Ed Case
• Welcoming Non-Jewish Spouses and Converts to Judaism by Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie

For many more helpful articles on synagogues and the Jewish community and interfaith families, click on these links to access our archives:

• Interfaith Families and the Synagogue
• The Outreach Debate
• Outreach Success Stories
• Intermarriage and the Conservative movement
• Intermarriage and the Reform movement

For previous Web Magazine issues on synagogues and the Jewish community and interfaith families, click on the links below:

• Issue 194 (October 2006) - Outreach Success Stories
• Issue 190 (August 2006) - Responding to Negative Comments about Intermarriage
• Issue 158 (May 2005) - Engaging in Jewish Life
• Issue 157 (April 2005) - Engaging in Jewish Life
• Issue 120 (October 2003) - Reform Outreach
• Issue 49 (November 2000) - Interfaith Families and the Synagogue
• Issue 48 (November 2000) - Interfaith Families and the Synagogue
• Issue 17 (August 1999) - Interfaith Families and the Synagogue
• Issue 16 (July 1999) - Interfaith Families and the Synagogue
• Issue 15 (June 1999) - Interfaith Families and the Synagogue

Discussion Boards

• Interfaith Families and the Jewish Community 

Additional Synagogues and the Jewish Community and Interfaith Families Resources

Websites

IFF Network Blog - Our regularly updated blog regularly discusses the debate over intermarriage in the Jewish community.

Visit our partner MyJewishLearning.com for more information on the Jewish community's approach to intermarriage:

• Attitudes Toward Intermarriage
• Overview: Jewish Continuity
• Reaching Out
• Mixed Families, Jewish Choices

Books

• Friedland, Ronnie and Case, Edmund, ed. The Guide to Jewish Interfaith Family Life: An InterfaithFamily.com Handbook. Jewish Lights, 2001. Read a review.
• McClain, Ellen Jaffe. Embracing the Stranger. Basic Books, 1995. This book encourages the Jewish community to reach out to intermarried families.
• Lois Shenker. Welcome to the Family! Opening Doors to the Jewish Experience. White Cloud Press, 2001.

If you know of other resources on synagogues or the Jewish community--or if you'd like to see additional resources on a particular aspect of synagogues or the Jewish community--please email us at network@interfaithfamily.com and let us know what you'd like us to provide.

For the latest articles, resources and information from InterfaithFamily.com, sign up for our bi-weekly email newsletter at www.interfaithfamily.com/signup.
 

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Planning a wedding is stressful and exciting. We can help you make it meaningful, too. Check out our Guide to Wedding Ceremonies for Interfaith Couples.

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