Yes To Intermarriages
Newton, Mass./JTA
shown, if at all, only by following inter-
faith couples from their engagement to
abbi Al Axelrad was far ahead
their wedding to the raising of their chil-
of his time when, in 1985, the
dren. It would take years, require control
longtime director of Brandeis
groups of couples who wanted to have,
University's Hillel published an essay
but were unable to find, a rabbi, and
explaining why and how he officiates at
probably cost more than $100,000.
interfaith weddings.
In short, it's unlikely
The provocative essay,
anyone will ever have the
"Mixed Marriage and the
patience and resources to
Rabbi: A Rational Alternative
prove causation.
to Company Policy',' appeared
But, taken together, these
in Axelrad's book of essays,
reports suggest, quite con-
Meditations of a Maverick
vincingly, that there is a
Rabbi, a full six years before
strong positive connection
the intermarriage "crisis"
between rabbinic officiation
broke in the American Jewish
and interfaith couples' future
community.
Jewish involvement.
Rabbi Lev
Unsure but hopeful about
This is significant because
Baesh
the positive effects of his
for many rabbis the objec-
Special
decision, Axelrad called for a
tion against officiating at
Commentary
serious sociological analysis
intermarriages is less theo-
of the impact of rabbinic offi-
logical than it is practical:
ciation at interfaith weddings. Twenty-
They wonder if they are truly helping an
three years later, his call is starting to be interfaith couple become more Jewishly
answered.
involved or simply serving as a hechsher
The soon-to-be-published
(kosher certification) to mollify an anx-
Intermarriage and Jewish Journeys in the ious parent or grandparent.
United States, from the National Center
Currently, many rabbis who offici-
of Jewish Policy Studies at Hebrew
ate at interfaith weddings do so for
College in Newton, Mass., is the first
reasons that have nothing to do with
report of its kind: It focuses on the con-
Jewish law or demographics. They
nection between rabbinic officiation
have to do with compassion and a
at interfaith weddings and interfaith
sense that every loving union — be
couples' later Jewish behaviors. The
it in-marriage or intermarriage — is
results, as those of us in the field long
holy and worth blessing.
have suspected, are quite positive.
But many more rabbis are on the
The author, Arnold Dashefslcy, found
fence, and they are more pragmatic.
that interfaith couples who had a rabbi
They've considered officiating at inter-
as the sole officiant at their wedding
marriages, but they want to know their
were nearly 40 percent more likely to
involvement will have an impact on the
raise their children Jewish than couples
Jewish life of the couple. They need their
who didn't have Jewish clergy or had co- decision to be good for the Jews.
officiants.
Ultimately, they want to know wheth-
These couples were nearly three times er their involvement is kashering Jewish
as likely to say it was "very important"
population decline or promoting Jewish
that their grandchildren be raised
population growth.
Jewish and significantly more likely to
Indeed, the Hebrew College report
attend High Holiday services. These cor- is, funding permitting, just the first of
relations are buttressed by the results of
a multi-year study. As the couples and
another study, also out of Boston.
their children age, we hope to find out
A recently released report drawn from more about the links between officiation
the 2005 Greater Boston Community
and child rearing.
Study showed that interfaith couples
But the results do offer a nudge to
raising their children Jewish were three
those fence-sitters who are uncertain
times as likely to have a Jewish officiant
about officiating. Times have changed.
at their wedding as interfaith couples
Facts have been established. You no
who weren't raising their children
longer need to be a maverick to bless an
Jewish.
interfaith wedding.
The authors of both reports are careful
to note that their results suggest correla- Rabbi Lev Baesh is director of
tion, not causation.
interfaithFamily.com's Resource Center for
They're right. Causation could be
Jewish Clergy.
R
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