Muddy Waters

The latest article to come out on interfaith marriage is titled, "Intermarriage Study Muddies Waters." Reasonable well done considering the usual lack of knowledge on the topic, it stresses the researchers surprising findings. Communities around the U.S. have different rates of intermarriage and different rates at which the interfaith couples raise their children as Jews. To quote my 21 year old daughter's peers, "Qwah!?"

I continue to be surprised at what surprises them.

Imagine this,
"The cities with high rates of Jewish child-rearing among intermarried couples include rapidly growing Jewish populations, such as South Palm Beach (75%), and older and shrinking communities such as Cleveland (66%). Some older, well-established Jewish communities such as New York (30%) and Detroit (31%) rank below transient-heavy western cities such as Los Angeles (43%) and Las Vegas (42%), belying the common wisdom that Jews in the West are less affiliated."

The assumptions abound. Minus the research team, just being a reasonable thinker I ask myself, why might an "older and shrinking" community have a high rate of interfaith couples raising their children as Jews? Well, in a community that sees itself as getting old and disappearing there's a good chance that the institutions are hastening to welcome any young family. Thus their posture is one of welcome, acceptance and intergration. The young family, finding themselves embraced and included decide this is a good place to raise kids... and they do.

Remember Egon Mayer's study of so long ago revealing a core problem: most interfaith couples DON'T know that the Jewish community is open to them?

If we can get the word out. Get them to come to the door. And then if we can open it wide with a smile on our faces -- who knows what can be accomplished?

Here's where we, the Interfaith Outreach Professionals, must continue to labor. To bring each of these tasks to the attention of the community and teach them to do them.

Marketing
Program development
Reception skills
Follow up
Communication skills
Methods of ongoing communication

And our most vital means of transformation: The Conversation