No one is more welcome at Congregation Achduth Vesholom than you!
Congregation Achduth Vesholom, like all Reform Jewish congregations, holds the mitzvah (religious responsibility) of ahavat ger (welcoming the stranger) among the most important tenets of our faith.
We actively welcome interfaith families into our community and encourage their participation in Temple life. We work to empower people to make Jewish choices for themselves and their families and to provide resources to inform educated decisions. We strive to be a welcoming place for people of diverse religious backgrounds, sexual orientations, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, gender identities, and abilities.
When couples come together in commitment, they integrate separate lives into one family. And for interfaith couples and their families that integration also includes differing religious traditions and cultures. Remember: you are not alone. Rabbi Meir Bargeron, our lay leaders, our staff, and our Reform Jewish movement are ready to welcome you.
We invite you to begin a conversation with Rabbi Meir to share your hopes or questions about being an interfaith family at the Temple.
You may be wondering about…
Membership: The Temple already is proud to be a home congregation for many interfaith couples and families. We welcome you to share in the warmth of our community and to participate in whatever aspect of congregational life you enjoy and find meaningful without pressure. We invite you to find out more about membership.
Finding Community: When joy brightens your life, whether in the Jewish or non-Jewish member’s extended family, it brightens our lives, too. The same is true when illness touches your life. Rabbi Meir and our caring community will reach out to offer support.
We also are a place to find the warmth of friendship.
Educating Children: Our Religious School program is open to children of Temple members in preschool through 12th grade. Our school provides foundational skills and experiences that will allow your child to feel at home in any Jewish space. Because our Temple family includes interfaith families, your kids will meet other kids who are in interfaith families. Please visit our Religious School page.
Celebrating a B’nei Mitzvah: Children enrolled in the Temple’s Religious School have the opportunity to engage in deep Jewish learning and eventually to become a Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Because you have decided to raise your child as a Jew, we at the Temple strive to ensure that the B’nei Mitzvah experience is welcoming to all members of your family.
We invite both parents to participate fully in the service, from the ceremony of passing Torah down through the generations to standing up at the Torah during the aliyah (Torah blessing) to the opportunity to bless your child. Our creativity allows family members of other faiths to help celebrate your simcha (joyous moment) as well. You may begin a conversation with Rabbi Meir about your family’s questions about B’nei Mitzvah.
Praying With Us: Being a welcoming community is central to who we are, especially during our worship services. From the moment you are greeted at the door with a smile, we strive to make you feel that the Temple is your spiritual home. Our Rabbi and congregants will happily assist you in finding your way through our services. Learn more about the Temple’s worship services (link to Shabbat)
Learning More about Judaism: Without any expectation, we invite you (whether you are Jewish or not) to enjoy our programs and classes. See our calendar for the most up-to-date schedule of offerings.
Conversion: Some (but not all) non-Jewish partners in a Jewish family consider conversion. We welcome it, but do not pressure you to consider it. We like you exactly as you are – but if you are wondering about the possibility of living a Jewish life, Rabbi Meir is ready to support you. He talks with, studies with, and helps people considering these questions in a non-threatening, open way. Rest assured that the rabbi and the Temple family will be here for you no matter what you decide. The choice is yours. We invite you to begin a conversation with Rabbi Meir.