New Group Helps Interfaith Families Feel Jewish Connection
Being part of a marriage where one spouse is Jewish and the other is not can be a challenging experience for a family even in the best situation.
A new northern Westchester-based organization is reaching out to interfaith families to make them feel more comfortable as they navigate that sometimes difficult terrain and help them create their own traditions.
CONNECT, which officially launched in September, held its first event last Saturday, a holiday wine tasting, at Moderne Barn Wines & Spirits in Armonk. It brought together 16 couples from around the county, doubling as a social event and a kickoff of discussion on some of the issues that face couples where one partner is Jewish.
“This specific mission is to welcome and engage and support interfaith families as they explore and connect with Jewish tradition, teachings and values,” said Alli West, the program director for CONNECT. “Our goal, really, is to enhance the connection and to build a community for those couples and families because many of them have young children and to help them find their place in the Jewish world.”
Half of the $100,000 to fund the organization for three years came through a grant from actor Michael Douglas. In 2015, the Genesis Prize Foundation, named Douglas as that year’s recipient of its annual prize. The foundation recognizes someone renowned in their field and who has worked to further the cause of Jewish values and the Jewish community.
A product of an interfaith marriage himself, Douglas has concentrated on connecting with his own heritage. Temple Shaaray Tefila in Bedford, where Douglas is a member, raised the other $50,000, said the synagogue’s Executive Director Dale Glasser.
The need for families and Jewish communities to adapt has never been more critical. A Pew Research poll revealed that 44 percent of Jewish respondents who are married have a non-Jewish spouse, he said.
“So what that means for the Jewish community, or the more liberal Jewish community, is that couples that are intermarried really aren’t on the fringes anymore,” Glasser said. “They are part of the population that we serve and this particular grant has really helped for those who either felt uncomfortable connecting in their congregation or in the Jewish community or who are kind of exploring their own paths.”
While the impetus for the program came out of Temple Shaaray Tefila, the outreach efforts will be made throughout Westchester, West said. Couples and families do not have to be affiliated with any congregation to participate.
In the coming months, there will be other events for families and children that will bring parents in interfaith marriages together. On Feb. 12, there will be a family event at Kidville in Mount Kisco, followed by a pre-Passover party at Camp Kiwi in Somers on Apr. 2. On June 3, there will be an outdoor family picnic at Temple Shaaray Tefila.
West said one of CONNECT’s goals is to learn more about the issues that families face, how they may go about resolving those issues and where they may need help. For some interfaith families, this time of year is most difficult when they face the Hanukkah-Christmas dilemma. Other issues may include how a couple decides which faith to raise their children or how to deal with unaccepting friends or relatives.
“I think every challenge is very different for each family,” said West, who is Jewish but whose husband is not. “Some interfaith families there are two-faith traditions, maybe in some families one partner is agnostic, one partner could be just non-practicing. I think it’s hard to say what the challenges are because they’re so individual for each couple.”
To learn more about CONNECT and its upcoming programs, visit www.connectandengage.com.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/
