interfaith marriage

Isabel and Nicki Hoffman are the two newest American Girl dolls in the historical collection. (Jackie Hajdenberg/ JTA)

March 2, 2023, 3:41 am

Meet the real-life sister act behind the two new ’90s Jewish American Girl dolls

Julia DeVillers and Jennifer Roy are the inspiration for a set of throwback characters with a nuanced interfaith Jewish background for fans of the popular line

By Jackie Hajdenberg

Groom breaking a glass at a Jewish wedding. (illustrative photo: PavlovskiJenya/iStock by Getty)

February 5, 2023, 10:26 pm

Boston’s Hebrew College will now ordain rabbinical students with non-Jewish partners

The decision makes the pluralistic institution only the second major rabbinical school in the United States to do away with rules that bar dating or marrying non-Jews

By PHILISSA CRAMER

Hadar students read a piece of text together. (Courtesy of Hadar/via JTA)

May 5, 2022, 3:47 am

Who counts as a Jew? Pioneering yeshiva fumbles admissions criteria, renewing debate

NY’s Hadar quickly removes erroneous language on website saying applicants should have two Jewish parents, but sparks heated conversation about egalitarianism and Jewish identity

By Jackie Hajdenberg

Illustrative: A display in the German colony, in the northern Israeli city of Haifa includes a menorah and a Christmas tree. (Sapir Bronzberg/FLASH90)

December 17, 2021, 8:39 pm

To tree, or not to tree? How Jewish-Christian families navigate December’s dilemma

Interfaith families always seem to discuss which traditions to observe, but for the Christmas tree, the method of debate is more important to them than what is ultimately decided

By Samira Mehta

Illustrative: A 2011 marriage ceremony of an interfaith couple from Boston. (Courtesy Jared and Laurie Berezin)

May 20, 2021, 1:58 am

Most US kids of intermarriage raised Jewish; parents want institutions to notice

A recent Pew study shows that over the last decade, most Jews have wed non-Jewish partners – but 2/3 of them imbue children with some Jewish identity, and this seems to be growing

By Ben Sales

Lucy Aharish, Tsahi Halevy and their baby (screen capture: Channel 12)

April 18, 2021, 3:11 am

Arab Israeli TV anchor opens up on vicious responses to her interfaith marriage

In heartfelt interview, Lucy Aharish describes barrage of criticism over her marriage to actor Tsahi Halevi, says their child will make his own decisions on Judaism

By ToI Staff

Naian González Norvind as the title character in 'Leona,' directed by Isaac Cherem. (Photo by Diana Garay, courtesy of Fosforescente/ Menemsha Films)

February 12, 2021, 3:51 am

Debut film by Mexican duo, ‘Leona’ is way more than a Jewish ‘Romeo and Juliet’

Nuance, attention to detail, and ultimately, believability make for a gripping journey into Mexico’s insular Syrian Jewish community. Streaming Friday in virtual cinemas

By Jordan Hoffman

Illustrative: An Israeli couple photographed for their wedding at a blossoming almond tree field in Latrun on February 25, 2019. (Hadas Parush/Flash90)

December 18, 2020, 3:27 am

Survey finding Birthright alumni more likely to marry Jewish raises some hackles

Jewish Futures Project poll finds 55% of participants select coreligionist partners, but critics say commitment to Judaism shouldn’t be measured by marriage alone

By Cathryn J. Prince

Illustrative: A Jewish wedding with chuppah in Vienna 2007. (CC BY SA 2.5 Gryffindor)

October 7, 2020, 2:06 pm

UK liberal rabbis allow interfaith couples to marry under a traditional canopy

Becoming first Jewish movement in Britain to permit interfaith nuptials beneath a chuppah, group says move aims to recognize and celebrate the diversity of Jewish life in 2020

By Marcy Oster

Peter Curtis is a music professor at Riverside City College in Southern California. (Courtesy of Curtis/via JTA)

December 25, 2019, 6:42 am

‘Christmas With Your Jewish Boyfriend’: A jazz album of holiday songs by Jews

After guitarist Peter Curtis prepared a medley of the popular tunes written by his coreligionists for a holiday concert, his interest was piqued, culminating in his new collection

By Gabe Friedman

August 28, 2019, 5:27 am

10 books that capture what it’s like to grow up in an interfaith family

Navigating a blended identity poses a challenge to many Jews with mixed faith parents. These writings illuminate the complex world of Jew-ish heritage

By Julia Metraux

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at a conference of his Likud party in Ramat Gan, March 4, 2019. (Tomer Neuberg/Flash90)

June 27, 2019, 4:50 am

Everybody complains about Israel’s electoral system. But it works

Especially after this year’s political shenanigans, the chaotic, tribal electoral system gets a bad rap; it is also the source of Israel’s strength, solidarity and democracy

By Haviv Rettig Gur

Yakub Barhum and Michal Baranes have built a life and a successful restaurant, Majda, in a small Arab-Israeli village, but they are considering moving abroad after recent Jewish-Arab tensions in Israel. (Ben Sales)

November 30, 2018, 1:56 pm

Fuss over celebrity wedding highlights difficulties faced by Jewish-Arab couples

Though a tiny minority in largely separate communities, interfaith relationships have defied odds and societal pressures. But some say the challenge is growing harder and harder

By Ben Sales

October 22, 2018, 9:17 pm

Conservative rabbis given blessing to attend mixed marriages

Reversal of 4-decade-old ban signals fresh approach to intermarriage in movement, but clergy still barred from officiating weddings of Jews and non-Jews

By Ben Sales

Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid leads a party faction meeting at the Knesset on December 26, 2016. (Photo by Yonatan Sindel/Flash90)

October 14, 2018, 6:56 pm

Lapid slams harsh rap of TV stars’ interfaith marriage, but says he opposes it

Citing the loss of Jews during the Holocaust, self-styled leader of Israel’s secular mainstream says he would ‘rather the Jewish people grow and not decrease’

By Raoul Wootliff