There are many things that make Temple Emanuel special. One of these is the diversity of our membership. Rabbi Goldstein and Temple leadership are committed to building a vibrant, inclusive congregational community in which all of our members, regardless of faith, feel valued and comfortable participating in every aspect of Temple life. Teaching in the Religious School made it apparent to me that we have many families in which a parent isn't Jewish but are lovingly and supportively raising their childrens as Jews. There also appeared to be a need to provide resources and support to those members of our Temple community, regardless of whatever faith they might practice. The first step was to appoint a Temple member dedicated to addressing the needs and issues faced by our interfaith families. With the Temple's support, I attended a 5-day program sponsored by the URJ Outreach department. This program, called the Alexander Schindler Fellowship, prepares lay leaders to specifically address the challenges of interfaith families through program development, education, and other resources.
In my role as Outreach Coordinator, I will be offering programs and resources for individuals and families, including extended family members. URJ Outreach has a vast collection of programs and materials to which I have complete access. I have already started work on program development for our Temple. More information will be provided in subsequent posts and in the Temple bulletin.
I encourage you to use this blog as a source of information, a way to connect with the larger Temple interfaith community, and a forum to discuss whatever you wish in a supportive environment.
Please share your thoughts regarding this new Temple initiative.....
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
URJ Outreach serves a diverse population: men and women; interfaith and interracial couples, Jews-by-choice; those in the process of conversion and religious seekers; Jews of color; people of all sexual orientations; single adults and blended families.
Please feel free to contact us at te.outreach@gmail.com
7 Haggetts Pond Road, Andover, MA 01810
Thank you for visiting our Temple Emanuel Outreach Blog. Our goal is to offer an opportunity for an open and free exchange of ideas, experiences and discussions to make all families of our community feel welcome.
Welcome!
Temple Emanuel is the largest Reform Congregation north of Boston and an active member of the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ).
URJ Outreach serves a diverse population: men and women; interfaith and interracial couples, Jews-by-choice; those in the process of conversion and religious seekers; Jews of color; people of all sexual orientations; single adults and blended families.
Please feel free to contact us at te.outreach@gmail.com
Visit our Temple Website
7 Haggetts Pond Road, Andover, MA 01810
3 comments:
As the child of an interfaith family and a spouse in an interfaith marriage, I completely support and applaud you for this effort. The non-Jewish spouse has been overlooked for too long and deserves our support and praise.
It's about time!! There are so many interfaith families where one parent is not Jewish but wants to know how they can fully support his/her partner and their children being raised as Jews. I look forward to seeing what programs are introduced in support of this effort.
There is definitely a need for this. Many of us have non-Jewish spouses who support raising Jewish children, but do not wish to be Jewish themselves. This means trying to integrate separate traditions and identities and finding a comfort zone within the Temple. I hope to hear more about this effort.
Post a Comment