Judaism and Interfaith Families

In the Jewish community, especially in America, there has been a growing concern about the traditions, affiliation, and faith in Judaism diminishing. Many Rabbi’s and Jewish leaders believe that interfaith marriages are too blame for this epidemic. For in the last thirty years, forty percent of all American Jewish marriages have become interfaith (p. vii Gluck). Although some Jewish leaders see intermarriage as a serious problem, Susan Katz Miller, author of the New York Times Article, “Being ‘Partly Jewish,’” discusses her positive view on interfaith families and communities. From her own personal experience and facts she has collected, Miller believes that Jewish leaders do not have to be concerned with interfaith marriages because children of these families have been shown to move toward Judaism.

Intermarriage families concern Jewish leaders and Rabbi’s mostly in part because the Torah, which is the center of Judaism, states that interfaith marriage is against Jewish law and ultimately interfaith families could be a “terrible and potentially damaging choice (Miller).” The Torah says “You shall not intermarry with them (non-Jews): do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. For they will turn your children away from Me to worship other gods (Deut. 7:3-4)” (p. 93 Wolak). In addition, in the book of Ezra he prohibits interfaith marriage because the offspring could not speak Judean and was making Judaism impure (p. 93-96 Wolak). Therefore, Ezra forced the men to divorce their foreign wives and send the women along with the children, back to their home lands.

Another problem that arises from interfaith families and communities is the interpretation of the Torah. Ari Goldman, author of The Search ...

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