Dear Community, USCJ, the Cantors Assembly, and the Rabbinical Assembly are committed to recognizing and addressing the complexities of intermarriage for Conservative/Masorti Judaism in North America. Last year, we formed the Intermarriage Working Group (IWG), composed of staff and lay leaders from the three organizations. We aim to foster an inclusive and creative space where clergy, professionals, and lay leaders can engage in meaningful conversations, proactively supporting interfaith couples rather than just reacting to their needs, and now we are looking for your input. This new perspective acknowledges that disapproval has not discouraged intermarriage but instead has discouraged affiliation with our synagogues and relationships with our clergy, especially in many North American communities. We are focused on fostering a positive definition of Conservative/Masorti Judaism that encourages commitment, creativity, and inclusivity. Importantly, this working group doesn’t have the authority to make halakhic changes, which are the purview of the Rabbinical Assembly's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS). We are in the midst of a wide-ranging exploration, where our goal is to gather insights and understandings to help us navigate these conversations with care and purpose. As a movement that balances tradition and modernity, we are committed to developing recommendations for our decision-making bodies that respect the rich tapestry of our heritage while adapting to the changing realities of today's diverse Jewish families. We will gather best practices, collect meaningful data, and commission innovative ideas to adapt halakhah, ritual, and ceremonies across the continuum of dating, engagement, marriage, and family life. Our goal is to shift from binary perspectives (“what is permitted vs. what is forbidden”) to a more holistic, nuanced, and pastoral approach to intermarrying couples. Finally, we commit to sharing our findings and insights in order to enrich our Movement’s engagement approach. If you would like to participate in the Intermarriage Working Group's exploration, please click here to respond to our questionnaire by February 14. The survey should take less than 10 minutes to complete. The more perspective we have, the better our outcomes will be, so your participation is greatly appreciated.
We look forward to sharing more information as this process unfolds.
L’Shalom,
Shirley Davidoff and Rabbi Aaron Brusso
Co-Chairs of the Intermarriage Working Group |
