Chronicle poll results: Intermarriage

Last week, the Chronicle asked its readers in an online poll the following question: “Is intermarriage a threat to Jewish continuity?” Of the 295 people who responded, 52% said yes and 48% said no. Comments were submitted by 105 people. A few follow.

My interfaith marriage has yielded a conversion to Judaism and a grown child fully committed to the religion.

Jewish continuity depends on Jews choosing to build Jewish families. While intermarried couples can produce strong families, such families typically do not preserve Jewish identity across generations, posing a long-term challenge to the survival of the Jewish community. It depends on the intermarriage.

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Intermarriage will continue regardless of the opinions of rabbis or families. Either the Jewish community finds a way to embrace these marriages or lose members of the community. One thing is certain, we lose if we don’t welcome them.

How is this even a serious question? Of course it’s a threat. You can pretend it’s not and do a bunch of interfaith stuff but it’s not authentic Jewish identity.

I do not know. I have two daughters-in-law that are not Jewish, but they do celebrate all the Jewish holidays. I am happy that my grandchild knows about being Jewish. They even say the prayers for Sabbath and Chanukah.

It’s a threat but can’t be helped in today’s society.

Intermarriage improves understanding between Jews and our surrounding communities (which is desperately needed at this point in American history). And if the non-Jewish partner converts, then we directly enrich our own community.

It’s a reality. We need to learn how to best deal with it and adapt to it while preserving Judaism.

Not necessarily. A couple can decide on how to raise their children (hopefully, Jewish) and can embrace both traditions (let’s say, Christian and Jewish). As the children get older, they can (and hopefully, will) continue to live in the Jewish faith. This is how we decided to have our marriage and raise children, and all of them continue in the Jewish faith. In fact, even I, the non-Jewish partner, decided to convert to Judaism after the children’s bar/bat mitzvahs.

I have had an interfaith marriage for 53 years. We celebrate and respect each other’s faith, the differences and similarities. What was destructive was clergy responses to the marriage, stating that, “You’ll lose your values and morals.” My rabbi ostracized me from my faith!

I’m in an interfaith marriage and my sons have strong Jewish identities. One joined the IDF and made aliyah. My husband was supportive.

We must encourage in-marriage, while embracing those who have already married out.

Current approaches with respect to interfaith marriages have not been sufficiently successful and the percentage of interfaith marriages have increased almost every year according to several reliable studies.

Make intermarried couples welcome and you can keep them — and their children — in the Jewish fold. Both of my daughters married non-Jewish men who are totally on board with raising the children as Jews.

I am less concerned about Jews who are married (to Jews or non-Jews) than I am about those who are not. Our Jewish institutions fail to include people who are single, divorced and widowed. That is the real threat to Jewish continuity.

I married a girl who wasn’t Jewish. You can’t help who you fall in love with. She agreed to raise the kids Jewish. I was grateful. My three daughters were bat mitzvahed. However, we live in the suburbs and are “assimilated.” All three of my daughters married Italians and aren’t really Jewish. My grandchildren have no religion.

Find true love wherever you can! PJC