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10 Days of Belonging for Multi-Heritage Families
Aug 25, 2026 · original
10 Days of Belonging for Multi-Heritage Families Suggestions for a More Inclusive High Holy Day Season This checklist will walk you through the entire period leading up to, during, and beyond Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, to create a holiday experience that is meaningful and leads to belonging for multi-heritage individuals, couples, and families in your community. While many of the suggestions are specific to synagogues, you can adapt each one to your own organization. Before the High Holy Days Host a High Holy Day Q&A to introduce the holidays and yourselves (clergy, staff, etc.): Could be virtual or could be a casual program with food Consider a familiar venue such as a library, community center or restaurant Might have a social or educational focus such as getting to know the community or learning about the themes, traditions and tunes of the season Consider traditions and policies t
What is Belonging?
Aug 24, 2026 · original
“But We’re So Welcoming!” Every few years, the Jewish community finds a new buzzword to guide its community-building work. Outreach. Inclusion. Welcoming. These words express our communal deepest aspirations for how to create communities in which both those at the center and those on the margins can find a place to build friendships, make meaning, learn about Jewish texts and traditions, and mark Jewish lifecycle events. With overuse, however, these words become mere buzzwords, devoid of meaning, and lose their power to inspire us to build communities that represent the full diversity of the Jewish community. What is belonging and why does it matter? Belonging is at the heart of how we at 18Doors envision our work. It is at the core of how we support clergy, professionals and lay leaders, and the Jewish organizations they lead in their work with multi-heritage couples and families. Belon
Trainings
Jul 15, 2026 · original
18Doors’ network of educators are available for your training needs. Become more inclusive with a training session personalized to your organization, geared to help you recognize and meet the unique needs of your multi-heritage constituents. Contact our Professional Development team to see how we can help you. The post Trainings appeared first on 18Doors .
Joy: An Important Jewish Value
Sep 12, 2025 · original
As a kid, if I had been asked to associate a time of year with the feeling of Joy, it would have been Summer! Summer is the time of summer camp, free time, sleeping in, going swimming, eating ice cream from a waffle cone, etc. On the other hand, Winter, when it is cold and gloomy (in my eyes anyway) is a less obviously joy inducing time. Until I learned of International Ice Cream for Breakfast Day! When I lived in New Orleans after college, I was privileged to be a member of Shir Chadash Conservative Congregation, where I came to know Liba Kornfeld. Liba’s grandmother, Florence Rappoport , was the inventor of this most joyous day that is observed annually the first weekend in February. The holiday’s origin emerges from one bleary, blustery, February morning in Rochester, NY during the 1960’s. After an already snowy month of January (and with no change in sight to the forecast) the two yo
How To Teach Your Children About The Value of Perseverance
Sep 12, 2025 · original
I wasn’t into crawling as a baby. My mom says that I always wanted to be carried so that I would be in the heart of the action. As I grew older, I wasn’t into puzzles. My friend Camas and I were 4 years old, and she could sit for long periods of time and engage with a puzzle, but if I didn’t have the first piece go into place relatively soon after starting, I would lose interest, and off I would go. Around 3rd grade, once fractions were introduced in math, suddenly there weren’t just numbers to account for, but numerators and denominators, and simplifications and more! Math suddenly became hard. “I just won’t need a job with math” I’d say to myself. “I’ll just carry a calculator” I used to say…little did we know in 1993 that cell phones would eventually allow that to be true! Over time though, I developed a narrative about myself that if I wasn’t good at something right away, that I woul
2 Lessons in Curiosity
Sep 12, 2025 · original
Even though Jewish people only make up so little of the world’s population, Jews have won 20% of the Nobel Prizes in a variety of fields. We are a deeply curious people, which isn’t only a modern phenomenon of Jewish life. Rather, this orientation towards Sakranut , curiosity, stems from our ancient culture. A culture of examining and dissecting texts and mining them for wisdom that can be pulled out from the smallest letter to expose grand ideas and new ways of thinking about the world. Isidor I Rabi won the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1944 for his discovery of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Born into a Jewish family in Rymanow, Galicia and immigrated to New York’s Lower East Side as an infant, eventually going onto Cornell and to Columbia Universities. When he was asked about what made him want to be a scientist, and what made him successful, he didn’t credit his illustrious education at e
Loving Kindness: An Important Jewish Value
Sep 12, 2025 · original
One of the classic parts of the Seder meal of Passover, and of the Hagaddah (the book we read from on Passover) is the section with ‘the four children’: the wise, the wicked, the simple, and the one who does not know how to ask. We know of course that no child is all wise, or all wicked, and that at different moments in our lives we can be in all of these states. Therefore, the 4 children are really about 4 states of being that exist inside each person. The wicked child is the child who, in that moment, responds unkindly. We are taught that the wicked child says, “What does all of this seder stuff mean to YOU ?!” The emphasis on the word you, meaning we are not to understand it as a sincere question, and therefore as unkind. A wise child on the other hand is one who is inquisitive, and open and who wishes to know more about the seder. A wise child exhibits interest, and kindness. Parents
How To Teach Your Children About The Value of Tikkun Olam
Sep 12, 2025 · original
At the time of writing this piece, there are many in the world who may be feeling scared, especially those in the LGBTQI+ and Immigrant communities, disabled families, and those who rely on government assistance. They say you should pray to live in uninteresting times, and ours are unfortunately quite interesting to say the least. Often when talking with parents, we only talk about their relationship to their children, and yet, we need to acknowledge that we as adults are humans too. We are going through all of this too, not just our kids. It is a scary time, and many people (for good reason) are wondering if the world is safe – for their loved ones, their family, their children and themselves. Over the last several years – the Tree of Life Shooting, the Covid-19 Pandemic, increasing climate change disaster events, mass shootings, rising antisemitism – have put all of us adults into a st
Introducing 18Doors’ New CEO
Feb 10, 2025 · original
A Message From Our Board of Directors On behalf of the 18Doors Board of Directors, we are thrilled to share that we have selected our next Chief Executive Officer. Over the last months, our Search Committee and search firm Korn Ferry have led us through a robust and diligent process, and we are confident that we have found the right leader for the future of 18Doors and the community we are so committed to serving. Michael (Mike) Wise, the Founder and former co-CEO of Honeymoon Israel, will begin his tenure as CEO of 18Doors on February 17th. Mike’s background and passion for welcoming couples and families with diverse backgrounds to Jewish life is unparalleled. His unwavering commitment to the stakeholders of 18Doors, in combination with his wisdom, experience and dedication to the broader Jewish nonprofit world, makes him uniquely qualified to inspire and lead us. Mike deeply understand
How To Teach Your Children About The Value of Patience
Jan 24, 2025 · original
Patience in Hebrew is savlanut , and really would be better translated as “forbearance,” meaning patient self-control, or tolerance. In Modern Hebrew, a savlan, is one who carries a heavy load —a porter—or a person who lifts heavy furniture. When you imagine that person buckling under the weight of all that they are holding, we get a good image of savlanut. When we are exercising our patience (or feeling impatient) it can feel like we are suffering. In Middle School and High School, I was a big theatre kid. Anyone who has ever auditioned and waited to find out their role in a play knows that it is always an experience of suffering. I can remember the agony as I waited to find out, hoping for a particular role. In the context of savlanut it didn’t matter the end result, the experience of waiting—whether I got the part I wanted or not—felt like suffering. Like I was carrying a heavy load.
How October 7 Impacted Interfaith Couples & Families: Research and Discussion Questions For Grandparents, Couples and Professionals
Jan 22, 2025 · original
This article below is taken from a chapter in a two-book compilation: Perspectives on October 7, 2023, which is a collection of nonfiction essays. The accompanying discussion questions were written by Adam Pollack after to be included in this 18Doors piece. With the increase in American Jews marrying people from another background (in fact, only 28% of progressive Jews married since 2010 have married another Jewish person 1 ), Jews are finding themselves on one hand, integrated into American culture and on the other, experiencing increased antisemitism . These inter-cultural and inter-religious familial relationships provide an opportunity for greater allyship in this fight to finally rid the country of hate against the Jews and for Jews to find comfort and safety with those closest to them. For this to happen, family members, particularly those who were not raised with a Jewish educatio
How To Teach Your Children About The Value of Generosity
Dec 15, 2024 · original
In my previous job as the director of a congregation’s religious school, a 7th grader arrived about a half-hour early for class one Tuesday evening. I asked her how she was while I was getting set, and got the standard “Good.” After a short pause, and as I started to walk away to continue to prepare for class, she said, “You know actually, I am not good.” I went back over to her and we talked, and I asked her what was wrong. She said something to the effect of “…with climate change, and war and police violence…I am okay, and I am not okay.” This student was wise enough to reflect on how she was feeling and to articulate something that I think many of us as adults feel, and we can be certain therefore that our children are feeling it too. A sense of powerlessness to make a difference in the world. Mussar is a centuries old practice of cultivating our character. By examining our behavior,
Giving Thanks: An Important Jewish Value
Nov 19, 2024 · original
My Grandma, Clarisse Eber Rifkin, may her memory be a blessing, used to return my thank you notes with her own letter of thanks to me. However, alongside her letter, she would also return my original letter to her. They were complete with corrections and suggestions in red marker. I distinctly remember one of her comments, written in her red pen. In my original thank you note, I had said something very brief, like, “Dear Grandma, thanks for the check for $25. Love, David.” She wrote back, and her advice remains with me to this day: When we give thanks, it’s important to be detailed and specific and not just say “Thanks for the [Insert item of thanks].” She wanted to know why I was thankful. While I wouldn’t recommend this exact approach of editing thank you notes, it’s worthwhile to teach your children not only about the importance of saying thank you but also how to say it. How can we s
Small Business Saturday: Your New Favorite Items From Talented Creators
Nov 6, 2024 · original
While it seems like none of us can escape the mayhem that is Black Friday, we’ve recently been offered an alternative: Small Business Saturday. This movement aims to highlight small businesses as we buy gifts during the holiday season. We’ve spent several hours finding some fantastic creators so you don’t have to, and picked out an item of theirs that we love. And, in case you’re wondering, we’re not getting anything from this! We don’t make a portion of the proceeds; we genuinely love the creativity behind these brands and want everyone to know about their products. Many of them have interfaith backgrounds and stories. Why not support some fantastic businesses below? 1. Jewish Together, “Floral Star of David Sticker” | $5.00 2. Modern Mitzvah, “Bagel Birthday Card” | $5.00 3. Ariel Tidhar, “Amit Hamsa Studs” | $20.00 4. The Nosh Table, “Strawberry Swirl Platter” | $180.00 5. Arielle Zor
A Lesson in Gratitude (Hakarat Ha’Tov)
Oct 23, 2024 · original
At the parting of the Red Sea, when the mixed multitude of people who fled Egypt was able to make their way to safety through the narrow gap in the waves, even in the midst of possibly the greatest miracle of all time, there were still people who managed to complain. Imagine the scene: The whole community is standing on the shores of the Red Sea, waiting for the waters to part but they aren’t. Pharaoh’s army is barreling down on the people, threatening to take them back to Egypt or worse. The people plead with Moses to do something, but he is frozen. Suddenly, Nachshon, son of Aminadav, wades into the waters and starts to walk towards the other side. Still the waters have not parted. Soon the water is up to Nachshon’s nose, and the people implore Moses to do something — anything! In fear, Moses raises his staff causing the waters to part dramatically, making a pathway for the people. As
Netflix’s Nobody Wants This: A Rabbi’s Review on the First Three Episodes
Sep 27, 2024 · original
The much-awaited first season of Nobody Wants This dropped on Netflix on September 26. Adam Brody, already nicknamed “hot rabbi” across the Internet, stars as a young, relatable rabbi, and Kristen Bell is the stereotypical, white blonde love interest who isn’t Jewish. My rabbi friends immediately joked about the timing, given that we all dropped our High Holiday preparations for this much more pressing task — binging as many episodes as possible in one night. By the time I woke up the next morning, my lady rabbi WhatsApp group was buzzing with reactions and hot takes. It’s great to hear that the creators consulted a rabbi in creating Brody’s character. I am zero percent surprised, though, to see that they consulted a male rabbi, given the show’s problematic treatment of Jewish women. As a female rabbi and fierce advocate of interfaith couples and their Jewish communities, I found a lot t
Learning How to Ride a Bike: A Lesson in Awe and Fear (Yirah)
Sep 18, 2024 · original
How does yirah (which means “awe” and sometimes “fear”), play out in real life? For me, it requires going back to the past and also the present. In the summer of 2016, I went to live with my mom while she was recovering from knee surgery. While there, she wanted me to go through a lot of my old things; yearbooks, art and photos, etc. One day we were looking through journals that she kept about me throughout my childhood, and we came across a moment that I had forgotten. It was from the time that I began to learn to ride a bike, and the picture marks the first time I tried riding in public around the age of four. We took the bike to the park to ride on a path, and things were going well. I gained confidence and started to pull ahead of them, but not too far, and then… it happened. Some bits of the path had eroded, and there was a slight drop off. It was nothing to be concerned about if th
How We’re All Affected by this Rabbinical School’s Decision to Admit Students in Interfaith Relationships
Sep 6, 2024 · original
In June 2024, Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR)—the Reform movement’s seminary for training rabbis and cantors—announced that it would no longer restrict applicants and students in interfaith relationships from pursuing training and ordination as clergy. This announcement aligned HUC-JIR with other liberal seminaries including the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (RRC) and Hebrew College, with an admissions policy that reflects the lived reality of the American Jewish community in which 72% of non-Orthodox Jews married from 2010-2020 are in interfaith marriages. Depending on who you are and what communities you’re part of now or in the future, this change may have a direct impact on you. Here’s how. If Your Partner is From Another Background and You’ve Considered Becoming a Rabbi or Cantor Perhaps you have known for a long time that becoming a rabbi or canto
7 Ways To Address Antisemitism as a Partner Who is Not Jewish
Aug 21, 2024 · original
For many people who are not Jewish and were not raised around Jewish people, it may be difficult to respond to or even recognize antisemitism . This can be especially challenging for interfaith couples to navigate, particularly for the partner who is not Jewish. While every situation is unique, there are practical steps a partner who is not Jewish can take to support their Jewish loved ones and address antisemitism. The safety and freedom of the Jewish community, including Jews and their loved ones, is directly connected to the safety and freedom of all marginalized communities. In the fight for safety and freedom for all, it is important to have people from other backgrounds working alongside Jews willing to protect and to fight against antisemitism; this is a lifelong practice. Here are some tangible ways to practice this level of support in your everyday life: 1. Commit to continuing
How Interfaith Couples Can Talk About Antisemitism
Aug 13, 2024 · original
Knowing how to respond to antisemitism is challenging, and there is no one right way to do it. It can feel especially daunting or upsetting when this discrimination is coming from someone you love. Below are a few strategies that might help if you find yourself wondering what to do when your partner says something antisemitic. If you or your partner is not Jewish and wants to learn more about how to respond to antisemitism , we have another resource for you. STRATEGY #1 INTERRUPT Sometimes, interrupting can help steer a conversation in a different direction. If you feel like your partner is saying something upsetting, it might be worth stepping in and saying how you feel. » “I need a moment to reflect on what you just said because I feel hurt.” » “That statement is not acceptable.” » “That was really hurtful, let me tell you why that was so hard to hear.” » “I think we should pause from

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