fbpx
37.4 F
Spokane
Thursday, March 28, 2024
HomeCommentaryAskAsk a Jew: Do Jews mix socially with other religions?

Ask a Jew: Do Jews mix socially with other religions?

Date:

Related stories

My Journey through Homelessness Part Five: Learning to Live Outside the Box

The value of my homeless experience lies not so much in having learned how to live outside — at least not in the geographical sense. The value of my homeless experience lies in having learned how to live outside the box.

Lost in Translation: Isn’t It Time We Moved Beyond a Fear-Based Repentance?

When I hear the kingdom is at hand, followed immediately by the command to repent, the good news is overshadowed by the fear that I’m not good enough to be part of the kingdom of God.

Inspiring Others: How Our Marriage Turned 50

As we prepare to celebrate 50 years there are so many thoughts and memories going through my head. I have joked about how I don't know how you've put up with me for this long, which is really true in a sense with my Irish enthusiasm and temper.

Taking the Road ‘Less Traveled by’ Has Made ‘All the Difference’

Pete Haug remembers hearing Robert Frost read his poem "The Road not Taken" 65 years ago. It reminded him of his spiritual journey out of the Christianity of his youth into choosing the Baha'i faith as an adult.

Ask an EOC: Can You Confess in Private to God but not in Church Confession and be Forgiven?

Concerning the sacrament of Confession, Christ directly gave the authority to his Church to remit or retain the sins of the penitent. 

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img

What questions do you have about Judaism? Submit them online, or fill out the form below.

By Neal Schindler

Do Jews mix socially with other religions?

SPO_Ask-a-Jew-ad_042114By and large, the answer is yes. It may be that very traditional Jews — i.e., the so-called “ultra-Orthodox” — “mix” very little with non-Jews. They may live in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods, close to their synagogue, and spend most if not all of their social time with fellow Jews. Kashrut, the Jewish system of laws related to food and eating, theoretically makes it difficult for Jews and non-Jews to eat together, as the latter won’t know how to prepare food and maintain a kitchen in the kosher way. Since shared meals are such a big part of Jewish life, kashrut may be seen as one way that Jewish tradition attempts to keep Jews from “mixing” too much with non-Jews, lest these interactions lead to assimilation or even — gasp! — intermarriage.

Short answer, though: yes. The vast majority of Jews I know have plenty of non-Jewish friends, just as I do. Incidentally, SpokaneFāVS has helped me to further diversify my friend group from a faith standpoint, and I’m very appreciative of that.

Neal Schindler
Neal Schindler
A native of Detroit, Neal Schindler has lived in the Pacific Northwest since 2002. He has held staff positions at Seattle Weekly and The Seattle Times and was a freelance writer for Jew-ish.com from 2007 to 2011. Schindler was raised in a Reconstructionist Jewish congregation and is now a member of Spokane's Reform congregation, Emanu-El. He is the director of Spokane Area Jewish Family Services. His interests include movies, Scrabble, and indie rock. He lives with his wife, son, and two cats in West Central Spokane.

Our Sponsors

spot_img
spot_img
spot_img
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
spot_img
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x