The A–Z of Intermarriage Browse Inside

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The A–Z of Intermarriage

By Rabbi Denise Handlarski

© 2020

Most Jewish communities continue to cite intermarriage as the most serious threat to Jewish continuity. Contrary to the view that intermarriage is a crisis for Judaism, The A–Z of Intermarriage reveals that intermarriage can be a force for good in the lives of Jewish families and communities.

Written by Rabbi Denise Handlarski, an intermarried rabbi, The A–Z of Intermarriage is part story, part strategy, and all heart, as well as a coming together of religious source material, cultural context, and personal narrative. Fun to read and full of helpful and practical tips and tools for couples and families, this book is the perfect "how-to" manual for living a happy and balanced intermarried life.

This book is for people who:
- Are intermarried, open to intermarriage, or considering intermarriage
- Have family members or friends who are intermarried or entering into an interfaith/intercultural relationship
- Are seeking models, guidance, and tips about creating a happy relationship and family
- Are interested in points of view about intermarriage and/or Judaism they have never heard or considered
- Love "how-to" books
- Want to know more about Jewish approaches to life, learning, and love

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Product Details

  • Imprint: New Jewish Press
  • World Rights
  • Page Count: 248 pages
  • Illustrations: 3
  • Dimensions: 6.0in x 0.7in x 9.0in
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SKU# HE000849

  • PUBLISHED FEB 2020

    From: $14.92

    Regular Price: $22.95

    ISBN 9781487506780
  • PUBLISHED JAN 2020
    From: $22.95
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If your relationship needs less "oy" and more joy, this is the book for you!

The A–Z of Intermarriage

By Rabbi Denise Handlarski

© 2020

Most Jewish communities continue to cite intermarriage as the most serious threat to Jewish continuity. Contrary to the view that intermarriage is a crisis for Judaism, The A–Z of Intermarriage reveals that intermarriage can be a force for good in the lives of Jewish families and communities.

Written by Rabbi Denise Handlarski, an intermarried rabbi, The A–Z of Intermarriage is part story, part strategy, and all heart, as well as a coming together of religious source material, cultural context, and personal narrative. Fun to read and full of helpful and practical tips and tools for couples and families, this book is the perfect "how-to" manual for living a happy and balanced intermarried life.

This book is for people who:
- Are intermarried, open to intermarriage, or considering intermarriage
- Have family members or friends who are intermarried or entering into an interfaith/intercultural relationship
- Are seeking models, guidance, and tips about creating a happy relationship and family
- Are interested in points of view about intermarriage and/or Judaism they have never heard or considered
- Love "how-to" books
- Want to know more about Jewish approaches to life, learning, and love

Continue Reading Read Less

Product Details

  • Imprint: New Jewish Press
  • World Rights
  • Page Count: 248 pages
  • Illustrations: 3
  • Dimensions: 6.0in x 0.7in x 9.0in

  • Reviews

    "Finally! The A-Z of Intermarriage is an accessible guide for interfaith couples and their families to navigate issues with love and a generous dose of humor. Both practical and entertaining, this daring book will help all who read it and the many generations to come."


    Dr. Keren R. McGinity, Director, Interfaith Families Jewish Engagement, Shoolman Graduate School of Jewish Education and Jewish Studies, Hebrew College

    "Whether or not you are Jewish or religious, or even married, if the subject of intermarriage interests you, you'll be extremely fortunate to pick up this book and discover Rabbi Denise Handlarski as your guide to this complex and important subject. Handlarski's wisdom, warmth, knowledge, and humor shine throughout and may very well empower you or a loved one to embrace a new, healthier understanding of what it means to be part of a modern Jewish family."


    Greg M. Epstein, Humanist Chaplain at Harvard and MIT

    “Who better to guide a deep exploration of the joys and challenges of intermarriage than Denise Handlarski, one of the most creative and passionate rabbis on the scene today? This book, a rarity in that its author is herself an intermarried rabbi, is as fun to read as it is informative. The A–Z of Intermarriage compellingly demonstrates that the phrase ‘proud, intermarried Jew’ was never an ‘O’ for ‘Oxymoron.’ It illustrates powerfully that the phrase belongs under ‘A’ for ‘Awesome.’ It is just the book we need as we live through, and participate in, the transformation of Judaism for a new era.”


    Dan Libenson and Lex Rofeberg, Judaism Unbound

  • Author Information

    Rabbi Denise Handlarski is an intermarried rabbi ordained through the Secular Humanistic Jewish movement, serving the online community SecularSynagogue.com and the Toronto community Oraynu Congregation for Humanistic Judaism.

  • Table of contents

    Acknowledgments 

    Introduction 

    A
    Acceptance 
    Action 
    Adam and Eve 
    Aggravation 
    Antisemitism 
    Assertiveness 
    A$$holes 
    Assimilation 
    Attentiveness 
    Attitude 

    B 
    B’shert 
    Backgrounds 
    Beauty 
    Belief, Behavior, Belonging (bonus: B. Mitzvah)  
    Bible 
    Blending 
    Borrowing 
    Bridges 

    C 
    Calm 
    Camp 
    Children (and bonus “C”—circumcision)  
    Communication/Chrismukkah
    Community 
    Compromise 
    Conversion 
    Cost 
    Creativity 
    Culture 

    D 
    Daily Life (tasks, what you want daily life to look like) 
    Dancing 
    Daring 
    Death 
    Definition 
    Destiny 
    Divorce 
    DIY 
    Dogma 
    Dreams 

    E 
    Eagerness 
    Eats 
    Education 
    Elation 
    Elevation 
    Emotion 
    Emotional Load 
    Energy/Excitement 
    Equality/Equity 
    The Everyday 

    F 
    Feelings/Fear 
    Fellowship 
    Festive Season 
    Fidelity 
    Forgiveness 
    Frankness 
    Freedom 
    Friendship 
    Fun 
    Future Planning 

    G 
    Garbage 
    Gefilte Fish 
    Giving 
    God 
    Goodness 
    Google 
    Grandchildren 
    Grief 
    Grudges/Grievances 
    Guilt 

    H 
    Happiness 
    Healing 
    Hearing 
    Helping 
    Holidays 
    Honoring 
    Hope 
    Hostility 
    Hosting 
    Hurting 

    I
    Ignorant 
    Important 
    Inclusivity/Inclusion (featuring InterfaithFamily.com)  
    Indivisibility 
    Industriousness 
    Insistence 
    Intensity 
    Invitations 
    Irritation 
    Isolation 

    J 
    Jazz 
    Jealousy 
    Jerks 
    Jesus 
    Jokes 
    Journey 
    Joy 
    Judaism/Jewishness 
    Juggling 
    Justice 

    K 
    Kaleidoscope 
    Kaput 
    Karma 
    Keva/kavannah 
    Kids 
    Kindness 
    Kings 
    Klunkiness 
    Knowledge 
    Kosher 

    L 
    Lean In 
    Learning 
    Legalities 
    Listening 
    Literature 
    Losing It 
    Loss and Letting Go 
    Love 
    Luggage 

    M 
    Marriage 
    Meaning 
    Mentsch 
    Mindfulness 
    Mistakes/Messes 
    Mixed 
    Moments 
    Money 
    Moses 
    Mystery 

    N 
    Nag 
    Nationhood 
    Needs versus Wants 
    Negativity/Naysaying 
    Negotiation 
    Never Say Never 
    No Nos 
    Nope  
    “Normal”
    Nuptials 

    O 
    Officiating 
    Ok 
    Openness 
    Opportunity 
    Oppression 
    Optimism 
    Ordained 
    Originality 
    Oscillation 
    Oxygen 

    P 
    Pandering 
    Parenting 
    Parents 
    Partnership 
    Passion 
    Paternalism 
    Patrilineal Descent 
    Poetry 
    Possibility 
    Principles 

    Q 
    Quagmires and Quandaries 
    Quality 
    Quantity 
    Quarrelling 
    Queer 
    Questioning 
    Quicksand 
    Quid Pro Quo 
    Quirks 
    Quotable 

    R 
    Reaching Out 
    Realism 
    Reason(ableness) 
    Reconnection 
    Relatives 
    Relativity 
    Renewal 
    Resilience 
    Respect 
    Rules 

    S 
    Sensitivity 
    Serendipity/Syncronicity 
    Sex/Sweetness/Softness 
    Sharing 
    Shavuot 
    Shopping - Stuff 
    Shopping - Synagogues 
    Silliness 
    Stifled 
    Struggling 

    T 
    Talk Therapy 
    Talmud 
    Teaching 
    Terminology 
    The Attic 
    Tikkun Olam 
    Tradition 
    Truth 
    Turtle Island 
    Tzedakah 

    U 
    Ugliness 
    Undercutting 
    Understanding 
    Unity 
    Universality 
    Unlearning 
    Unorthodox 
    Unpopular 
    Urgency 
    Utopia 

    V 
    Vacations 
    Values 
    Vantage Point/Viewpoint 
    Variability 
    Veils 
    Venting/Ventilation 
    Vicious Circles 
    Victories 
    Visibility 
    Vision 

    W 
    Wake up Calls 
    Wandering 
    Weddings 
    White Dresses 
    Whiteness 
    Wisdom 
    Wishlists 
    Wokeness 
    Wondering 
    Worldliness 

    X/Y 
    X Marks the Spot 
    Xenophobia 
    X-factor 
    Xmas 
    X-rays 
    Yearning 
    Yelling 
    Yiddish 
    Yom Kippur 
    You 

    Z 
    Zamboni 
    Zany 
    Zealous 
    Zero Tolerance 
    Zigzag (rhizome) 
    Zipper (seam) 
    Zodiac 
    Zone 
    Zoom 
    Zygote 

    Appendix: December Delights: Creating and Crushing Chrismukkah
    Bibliography