Special Guest – Interfaith Weekend... Fern Chertok from Brandeis University

A researcher and teacher on interfaith trends and impact on the Jewish community, our speaker gave us a lot of insight into how assimilation had effected Jews over time.

Data from the 2000 National Jewish Population study and the Birthright database showed that Jewish continuity does not depend on intra-faith marriages.

She gives historic and Torah based background from the week’s parasha showing that Yitro, a non Jew, was one of the first who stood with the Israelites and the ‘sojourners’ at Mt. Sinai and gave a blessing to the One God.

The “Mixed Multitude” Ha Am – had a significant place at Sinai also.

In 1985 synagogues started reaching out to interfaith families with a slow but successful result.

4 predictors of participation in Jewish life:

1. Gender – women have higher probability of participation
2. Jewish education after bar/bat mitzvah
3. Home ritual or observance on a regular basis
4. Social network of Jewish friends – emphasis on a positive attitude
   

Problem is in the engagement - between 13 and marriage age there is no connection to youth. Important to find ways to keep the connection during the college years especially.

New trends and ideas are emerging to help this connection from facebook pages to Jew Brews – Shabbat meetings at local bars.

To keep young Jews from feeling like “incompetent strangers” when they go to the synagogue.