{"id":5800,"date":"2013-03-10T07:56:34","date_gmt":"2013-03-10T13:56:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/?p=5800"},"modified":"2013-03-10T07:56:34","modified_gmt":"2013-03-10T13:56:34","slug":"somebodys-getting-married-under-the-chuppah","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.crescentcityjewishnews.com\/blog\/somebodys-getting-married-under-the-chuppah\/","title":{"rendered":"Somebody’s Getting Married…Under the Chuppah!"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ANN ZIVITZ KIMBALL<\/p>\n

Only this<\/em>\u00a0Jewish woman \u2013 this devoted, active, works-in-the Jewish community<\/em> Jewish woman! \u2013 would meet and marry a man named Christian from Corpus Christi\u00a0 (\u201cBody of Christ\u201d), TX!\"\"

In all seriousness, one of the realities of growing up and living in the South is that there are fewer Jews here.\u00a0 If there are fewer Jews, it\u2019s not surprising that within the Jewish community here, there are many interfaith families and Jewish families that include non-Jews. But, what is the difference between interfaith families<\/em>, and Jewish families that include non-Jews<\/em>?<\/p>\n

Though each family has its own identity, I do see a distinction. An interfaith marriage (or family) consists of two adults who each have their own faith, and maintain these separate faiths, bringing both faiths into the family. A Jewish marriage that includes a non-Jew can be shared between a Jew and a non-Jew, if the non-Jewish partner has no particular faith preference or faith expression, and their shared home is simply Jewish.<\/p>\n

I think whatever you decide – who you will marry, how you will structure your lives, how you will celebrate holidays, involve yourselves in the Jewish community, and raise children \u2013 that these are some of the most important decisions you will make.\u00a0 And they\u2019re all decisions that should be made BEFORE you walk down the aisle!<\/p>\n

Frankly, a Jew marrying another Jew coming from a different religious observance background has to make some of the same decisions as a Jew marrying a non-Jew.\u00a0 Will you keep a kosher home? Will your son have a bris,<\/em> or not? Will your kids go to Jewish Day School, or not?\u00a0 Will your family attend services on a regular basis, or not? Will Friday night dinner be a family Shabbat event, or not?<\/p>\n

For all couples, the list is long, and the most important thing is to know where you both stand before you say yes!\u00a0 When it comes to the unique conversations around religious observance, interfaith, shared, or one-Jewish-partner-one-not, the resources at Jewish Outreach Institute<\/a> are truly wonderful and inclusive of all. I would recommend that anyone look to JOI, or Interfaithfamily.com<\/a>, for guidance and support.<\/p>\n

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