October 2006
Featured Article
Welcome to Bridges!

Dear Bay Area Interfaith couples and families,

Welcome to the electronic version of Bridges!  Bridges debuted in November 1991, and many of you have been receiving it – by mail – three times a year from the very beginning.  Although we are modernizing our medium, the message remains the same – to joyfully welcome interfaith couples and families to explore the rich Jewish community around the Bay and to consider making Jewish choices together.

I’ve told many interfaith couples that society no longer supports the concept of arranged marriages. I can’t expect the non-Jewish partner to embrace Judaism until he or she finds out what it is. Therefore, it is essential that there be fun, educational, and meaningful events that allow thoughtful individuals to consider this enormous thing we call Judaism.

So what’s the set up for this newsletter?
This email will come to you monthly and will have an opening letter from one of the interfaith outreach professionals in the Bay Area. We will address some aspect of interfaith and Jewish life. One thing I have learned from all of you is that even if you don’t have time to come to a program, just getting this newsletter affords you and your partner an opportunity to sit down and discuss the topic raised.

Additionally, there will be a section about activities for interfaith couples and families in each of the four major geographic regions around the Bay: San Francisco, East Bay, North Bay and the Peninsula. These messages will help you focus specifically on what and who is serving you close to your home or place of work. If you need something, there is a caring professional just a phone call (or email) away.


Where are we in the Jewish year? What can we do this month?
The Jewish year 5767 began in September with Rosh Hashanah. Yom Kippur and the Festival of Sukkot occurred in October, along with Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah. If you are curious about any of the holidays, please go to www.jholidays.org and read more.

Judaism, in its ancient origins, is an agricultural tradition, tied to the seasons of the year. As a result, we are going into the “quiet” time, when the fields, if we were tilling them, would lay fallow. There are no Jewish holidays through November and only Chanukah in December. So what can you do in this time to observe Jewish traditions?

As the days lengthen and our focus is directed to home and warm evenings with friends and family, I invite you to explore one Jewish practice in particular. Try it on for size and see how it feels. I am speaking of giving yourself and your loved ones an hour of undivided attention on Shabbat. It can be Friday night or Saturday afternoon or evening. But pick an hour and make it special. What do you enjoy doing together? Playing games, making cookies, reading aloud? Judaism is a home-based tradition and what you do in the home is of primary importance. Make your home more of what you love best and establish this Shabbat tradition.

Need help coming up with ideas? Call me, or call the professional in your community. Our contact information is listed in the regional sections below. We have lots of ideas for you to play with.

Dawn Kepler
Building Jewish Bridges: Outreach to Interfaith Couples

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