Serving interfaith families, partnering with Jewish institutions.
InterFaithways Family Shabbat Weekend
Coming soon! InterFaithways Family Shabbat Weekends 2010 will take place over two weekends: November 5-7th and November 12th-14th, 2010. InterFaithways Family Shabbat Weekend will feature special programming at over 50 local congregations as well as several community events designed for interfaith families sponsored by InterFaithways. Throughout the weekend each participating congregation chooses an activity, or series of activities to deepen the relationship between intermarried families and the shul.
On Thursday evening November 4th, InterFaithways is kicking off InterFaithways Family Shabbat Weekends with a special movie night at the Hiway Theatre in Jenkintown. Called Woody Allen to Ben Stiller: Interfaith Relationships Portrayed in Film, the evening will feature a wine and cheese reception, followed by the viewing of a film montage of clips from dramas and comedies portarying scenes with interfaith couples. Following the film, a moderated panel of local rabbis and interfaith couples will share their responses to the onscreen images.
To list your congregation's plans for InterFaithways Family Shabbat Weekends, contact Gabrielle Kaplan-Mayer at gabrielle@interfaithways.org.
Programming Ideas for InterFaith Family Shabbat
SUGGESTED PROGRAMMING IDEAS
- Host a Shabbat dinner welcoming interfaith families.
- Offer a beginners’ service, Intro to Friday Night liturgy lesson or learners’ minyan.
- Invite a member of InterFaithways’ Speakers Bureau to run a workshop for interfaith families.
- Include ideas relevant to interfaith families in your sermon.
- Engage a panel of diverse interfaith couples to speak about their experiences.
- Have grandparents of interfaith children in your congregation speak about their journey and experiences.
- Invite teen or adult children of interfaith families to speak about their experiences.
- Put together an anthology of spiritual journeys from your own interfaith congregants. Include readings in the service.
- Honor and bless interfaith families for raising Jewish children. Rabbi Janet Marder's blessing for Yom Kippur
- Create a special program for parents and grandparents of interfaith children, such as “Grandparents Ice Cream Sunday.”
- Invite Theatre Ariel to perform “Two Become One: Reflections on Interfaith Families”, contact Gari Weilbacher