On Interfaith Families and Hanukkah and Hanukkah/Christmas eCards

December 11, 2008 · Filed Under Baum's Blog 

I’m beginning to think that I have a blog just so that there is one more thing that I can feel guilty about not doing. I’ve been busy developing all sorts of content for OurJewishCommunity.org – and of course trying to fundraise for it. Beth Adam made a two year commitment to fund my position (and we’re already in month 6!) – but beyond that the future of this online congregation is unknown. So, I’ve been looking for grants, foundations, and anything else we can find to help fund this innovative project.

This morning Rabbi Barr and I also presented the online congregation to the students in an upper-level internet marketing class at Miami University (Ohio, not Florida, unfortunately) – and we got lots of great feedback on the content and layout of the site.

So, what else has been keeping me busy? Lots of new content, especially our Hanukkah material. We have Hanukkah podcasts, Hanukkah articles – including a great one on making Hanukkah more meaningful for your family through theme nights, Hanukkah activities for kids and families (including a fortune teller, latke flipper, word searches, and crossword puzzle), Hanukkah coloring book pages, and Hanukkah eCards as well as Hanukkah/Christmas eCards and printed cards. We’ll be videostreaming Hanukkah services on December 26 at 7:15 PM EST, and I’ll be unrolling video podcasts and other Hanukkah material over the next few weeks.

Some may find it strange that a synagogue is offering cards that celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. I agree – it’s strange – in that it’s not common. But there’s nothing else strange about it.

So many synagogues claim to be inclusive to intermarried families. And, yet, at the end of the day, they are not. In many cases the rabbi won’t officiate at the wedding of a Jew and a Christian – but once someone else officiates at the wedding, the rabbi will welcome the interfaith family as dues-paying members into his congregation. In some congregations, parents of Bar and Bat Mitzvah students cannot stand on the bimah with their children as they read from the Torah – because “non-Jews can’t do that.” It’s preposterous. If we talk the talk about welcoming interfaith families, then we need to be truly inclusive.

At our online synagogue, we recognize that many families are blended and celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. We are not going to ignore that reality. Rather, we are going to say that we support you and your choice. We are glad that Judaism is still part of your life. To that end, you’ll see that some of our Hanukkah coloring book pages have a Christmas tree in the background and while some of our eCards (which are also available as printed cards) are just for Hanukkah, others celebrate both Hanukkah and Christmas. We know there are many people out there celebrating both – and to all of you, we say (an early) Happy Holidays! Now go buy some cards or send some free Hanukkah or interfaith holiday eCards!

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