Over the past 2 weeks I have had a number of conversations with families about the topic of intermarriage. I feel for everyone involved as the topic, unfortunately, has become the third rail for many Jewish families. What I have learned working with families is that while a conversation about intermarriage may be difficult, does not need to end relationships. The idea that a Jew that intermarries throws away their Jewish identity, while I am not convinced this was ever the case, it certainly does not hold true today.
This week Judaism Unbound, a new podcast, interviewed Dr. Keren McGinity, the director of the new Interfaith Families Jewish Engagement (IFJE) program at Hebrew College’s Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education about the evolution of intermarriage and where things stand today.