Mabruk to Maine
Which now has… America’s Highest Intermarriage Rate. Expect an army of Jewish educators and philanthropists to descend on Maine like a pack of vultures ready to save acculturated Jews from themselves.
Which now has… America’s Highest Intermarriage Rate. Expect an army of Jewish educators and philanthropists to descend on Maine like a pack of vultures ready to save acculturated Jews from themselves.
How is Isajar (éùùëø) not a Jewish name?
Isajar, goyish.
Herbie, jewish.
How is “Leon Gorman” not Jewish?
And chillulWho?, using Lenny Bruce’s logic isn’t all of Maine already goyish anyway?
Siviyo, touche!
Vultures? Why Vultures?
Dr. Ira Sheskin who authored this study noted in the Ha’aretz talkbacks:
“Less than half of the children in intermarriages are being raised as Jews and even many whose parents say they are raising as Jews are being raised with Christmas trees and little Jewish connection. Just as one example, in in-married households, 58% are synagogue members, versus 20% in intermarried households. Very few Jews (less than 100 households per year) are moving into Southern Maine and an equal number move out each year. Thus, if this Jewish community is to sustain itself and keep its institutions going, they need to concentrate on connecting people to their heritage so that that heritage is important enough to them that when they select a spouse, they will select someone with whom they can share a common heritage.”
So please explain that vultures analogy? Unless you think the perpetuation of a Jewish heritage is, you know, a bad thing.
Thus, if this Jewish community is to sustain itself and keep its institutions going, they need to concentrate on connecting people to their heritage so that that heritage is important enough to them that when they select a spouse, they will select someone with whom they can share a common heritage.
“so that”? Why? If their heritage is really that important to them, shouldn’t that be sufficient?
I.e. sufficient for the Jewish community to sustain itself.
Agree with BZ. Two non-interested, non-practicing Jews combined in marriage does not equal the salvation of the Jewish people.
But maybe their kids will become interested and practicing! And if not, then maybe their kids will! It’s the cryogenic approach to Judaism: there may not be a cure for cancer now, but if we freeze your body, then perhaps future generations will be able to save you.
My favorite part is that it is not the Judaism at stake here at all – it is the INSTITUTIONS. THat’s right, people, the UJA appeals to you: marry Jewish so we can displace more palestinians!
I hope that the Jewish people keep those interested in serving God and practicing an ancient (yet evolving) religion while allowing others to go their own way.
I prefer quality over quantity. Our racial/genetic heritage is too precious to keep to ourselves, and our religious heritage is to important to be diluted with non believers….
The UJA displaces Palestinians? Man I learn something new every day here. I think the point is that someone who cares enough about their Jewish heritage will seek a marriage partner who cares just as much. I understand the concerns about quality over quantity and how these studies tend not to take that into account except insofar as these relate to institutional affiliation. Judaism however is not about race or genetics. It’s about far more than that and as soon as we can, as a community, promote a vibrant, lively and deeply relevant Judaism, then we will see the numbers change for the best. But you can’t guilt people into marrying Jewish. You can’t frighten them into doing it either.