Counseling the intermarried interfaith
Hello. My name is Gail Ginsburg and the topic of this video is help for inter-religious families.
Statistic show that in the United States today, half of more of marriages involving a Jewish person would be to someone of a non-Jewish background. This is the reality of living in an open and diverse society. There are couples who manage the work out the differences lovingly and creatively. Others struggle and eventually may even fall apart over these differences.
A reason in article in the New York Times talked about the struggles over the religious identity of children when intermarried relationships break up. It takes a sad tool on everyone involved. Parents and grandparents of intermarried couples also can be a help in dealing with these relationships.
When you fall in love with an individual from a different religious or cultural background, you will be in enriched and you will be challenge. Very often couples and families initially try to go on solve for the differences hoping that time will take care of it or they will figure it out later. Even if the non-Jewish partner converts to Judaism, some of the same issues still remain. These issues can include the wedding itself, Rabbi, Minister or both. Holidays, can we have a Christmas tree? Birth rituals, baptism or braes deciding on the shape of the children’s religious education, working through conflicts with in laws and other family members, even down to the placement of religious ritual items in the home.
I recently heard a one couple who broke up over the Jewish spouses’ desire to place a Benazuza on the doorpost of their home.
What to do? I recommend that couples begin by taking the issues one by one. Find the peaceful time and place to define and discuss the issue. Respectfully, give each other the opportunity to present their perspective and attempt to work out a compromise. Then, promise to stick with the plan. If you are unable to come up with the resolution, seek out the counselor who has specific experience in working with inter-religious couples.
In my experience, helping couples with these very real conflicts, I find the premarital or marital counseling based on the well known in respected prepare enrich inventory is in valuable. Parents and grandparents of intermarried couples also may benefit from supportive counseling.
If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at any time and I wish all best to you.
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