Growing Up Interfaith Archives

It’s Not My Face that Makes Me Jewish

By Rabbi Jillian Cameron

Rabbi Jillian, age 6 I recently read an incredible article posted in Alma, written by a former congregant of...

Growing Up Interfaith, Identity

The First Hero

By Emma Mair

2017-2018 Rising Voices Fellow Emma Mair with her parents at her bat mitzvah in 2013 On my parents’ first date...

Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Growing Up Interfaith, Parenting Stories, Parenting Successes

Jews Like Me

By Aimee Ellis

At Jewish summer camp (Camp Tawonga, to be specific), I felt a little different than the other campers. I wasn’t...

Camp, Family, Growing Up Interfaith, Identity, Religion

Mom: What is Your Religion?

By Rabbi Jillian Cameron

Being from an interfaith family has influenced my life in myriad ways, most especially in my choice to focus...

Family, Growing Up Interfaith, Identity, Parenting, Religion

The Hanukkah Fairy

By Kelly Banker

I am 8 years old. My siblings and I are huddled in my parents’ bedroom, awaiting the precious sound of the Hanukkah...

Growing Up Interfaith, Hanukkah, Hanukkah Rituals

My Son’s Bris: Why I Was Not Prepared for This

By Anne Goodman

Jack’s Bris: Sam, Anne & baby Jack Before Jack was born, I thought I prepared as much as...

Baby Naming, Birth Ceremony, Birth Stories, Bris, Circumcision, Extended Family, Growing Up Interfaith, Parenting Stories

Why I Waited for Interfaith Love

By Brianne Nadeau

It took me 20 years to find the love of my life. If you told me 10 years ago, or even 15 years ago that I’d...

Dating, Growing Up Interfaith, Identity, Love, Relationships, Religion

In Defense of Mother’s Day

By Jessie Boatright

My Mom and I on one of our many adventures Mother’s Day is coming, in case you haven’t stepped foot in a commercial...

Camp, Growing Up Interfaith, Parenting, Religious Education

A Surprise Announcement (aka a Love Story)

By Amy Beth Starr

Once upon a time, Amy, a divorced Jewish girl from Jersey, met Matt, a divorced Irish Catholic boy from Philly,...

Baby Naming, Birth Ceremony, Birth Stories, Co-Parenting, Growing Up Interfaith, Parenting Stories

Will Jews Ever Normalize “Non-Jews” [a Term We Don’t Like to Use] and Marrying Them

By Edmund Case

I had a very interesting day yesterday. It started with a phone interview with a graduate student in journalism...

Growing Up Interfaith, Pop Culture, Religion

A Little Christmas Can Be Enriching

By Jacob Weis

Anybody who has had even the most menial part in celebrating Christmas can probably acknowledge the beauty in...

Growing Up Interfaith, Hanukkah & Christmas, Jesus, Parenting Other Holidays

The Message I Wish I Heard in Hebrew School

By Emily Waife

Emily (right) with her parents and sister I’m Emily, the summer intern at InterfaithFamily/Boston! I thought...

Family, Growing Up Interfaith, Identity, Religion, Religious Education

I Became a Rabbi, But Kept My Stocking

By Rabbi Jillian Cameron

When I was very small, my family used to light our Hanukkah menorah alongside our decorated Christmas tree....

Growing Up Interfaith, Hanukkah, Hanukkah & Christmas, Parenting Hanukkah

My Name is Shannon, and I’m a Jew

By Shannon Naomi Zaid

My internship with the Jewish United Federation and InterfaithFamily has put me in religious Jewish settings...

Growing Up Interfaith, Identity

We’re Mostly Jewish

By Rabbi Mychal Copeland

Photo courtesy of Camp Tawonga I spent last week at California’s Camp Tawonga as the rabbi on staff for their...

Camp, Growing Up Interfaith, Parenting, Young Kids

What I’ve Learned from Growing Up in an Interfaith Family

By Shannon Naomi Zaid

Shannon (right) with IFF/Chicago staff: Jennifer Falkenholm & Rabbi Ari Moffic My name is Shannon and I...

Growing Up Interfaith, Identity

Lilith: The Quintessential Jewish Outsider

By Rabbi Mychal Copeland

Artwork by Phil Blank I went to an edgy opera recently called, Lilith the Night Demon in One Lewd Act. Lilith...

Growing Up Interfaith, Identity, Religion & Spirituality

Being Jewish and Being Human

By Benjamin Maron

This is a guest post by Jeremy Burton, executive director of Boston’s JCRC. After seeing his tweets about...

Growing Up Interfaith, Identity, Parenting, Religion

I Wish Cokie and Steve Roberts Were In Our Camp

By Edmund Case

Cokie Roberts, who I love as an ABC News commentator, and her husband Steve Roberts, have published a new “interfaith...

Bar/Bat Mitzvah, Growing Up Interfaith, High Holy Days for Parents, Parenting Rosh Hashanah, Parenting Stories

Privilege

By Ruth Abrams

Robin Margolis, an activist for children of interfaith marriage in the Jewish community who has written for...

Growing Up Interfaith, Identity, Race

My Spiritual Journey and My Father’s

By Rachel Mauro

My father and I share a common story. We both grew up in big cities populated by people of our ethnicities,...

Family, Growing Up Interfaith

Integrating My Identities in Israel

By Eric Lesser

369 My mother is an Italian Catholic from the immigrant enclave of lower Manhattan. My father, a Jew of...

Growing Up Interfaith, Identity, Israel

I Embraced Being Jewish, Despite the Odds

By Felice Indinoli Bochman

702 Growing up in an interfaith family was overwhelmingly positive, though my sister and I joke that we’re...

Families, Growing Up Interfaith, Identity

Finding My Father

By Paula Rosenberg

1208 As Father’s Day approaches, I think of my beloved dad. Saying Kaddish on the anniversary of...

Family, Growing Up Interfaith

Growing Up Interfaith

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