I'm Jewish My Partner Isn't - On the Rise in 2012
Tuesday, 24 January 2012
The annual 'I'm Jewish My Partner Isn't' seminar took place at the Sternberg Centre with more than 100 participants - a significant rise in numbers on recent years.The event was organised by Rabbi Jonathan Romain in conjunction with Jeneration, the Movement's initiative for students and young adults which places a particular emphasis on work with those in mixed-faith relationships.
Participants came from across the country; as well as Londoners, people travelled from as far afield as Glasgow, Cambridge and Nottingham.
Seen by participants as a 'safe space' to discuss difficult issues, the event's attendees included two Jewish women married to vicars, a gay Jewish and Muslim couple and a 'disproportionately large' number of Jewish and Catholic couples.
Describing the event as "a highly influential step in sorting both relationships and couples' Jewish connections", Rabbi Romain said: "The mixed-faith relationship often leads the Jewish partners to feel more conscious of their Jewish identity, encouraging them to become more knowledgeable about their Judaism. Many say they feel obliged to explore their Jewish heritage more now that they have a non-Jewish partner."
He continued: "It was interesting to note that the non-Jewish partners were often confused by the fact that the Jewish partners did not seem to be particularly religious yet still felt strongly Jewish, and it took them a while to understand the power of Jewish culture and the depth of their partner's Jewish roots."
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