Early on in my rabbinate, I decided I would officiate at weddings for interfaith couples if they agreed to have a Jewish family and raise Jewish children. I honestly hadn’t given the issue much thought and believed this was a typical position of many of my fellow Reform rabbinical colleagues. I remember one conversation in which the couple did not agree to these parameters and I refused to officiate at their wedding.

When Nina and Scott decided to get married, they were determined to respect each other’s religious background – she is Jewish, he was raised Catholic. They planned their interfaith wedding, with the help of Rabbi Enid Lader of Beth Israel – The West Temple, who encouraged Nina and Scott to participate in The Taste of Judaism courses, sponsored by jHUB, a joint initiative of the Jewish Federation of Cleveland and the Jewish Education Center of Cleveland, and is an InterfaithFamily affiliate.

Looking for something new and different with your family this summer? Fellow Jewish Cleveland parents share some of their favorite summer activities – from visiting the zoo, to farmers markets, to getting messy with paint. There’s something for everyone!

Zach and Shelby Siegal of Chagrin Falls love being a part of Jewish Cleveland. After pursuing careers in other cities, they returned home to Cleveland to raise their son. They love all the opportunities for Jewish life here – the unparalleled schools, communities, and programs like PJ Library. Meet them now:

Uplifting, inspiring, engaging: community leaders, elected officials, and special guests from across our diverse city joined an esteemed panel to look at the role of women in STEM at the 71st Annual Meeting of the Community Relations Committee.

Whether you love it or dread it, each family has their own unique bedtime routine for their children. Check out some of these ideas and tips from local Jewish Cleveland parents that are sure to make you smile.

At the center of Passover is the Seder, a 15-step meal involving ritual items, stories, and food. The Passover Seder is meant to be an inclusive experience for people of all ages. Young children are encouraged to participate through such traditions as the singing of The Four Questions and the searching for the Afikomen.

A long time ago in medieval Spain, there were three great religious leaders. Saladin was the leader of Muslims. Don Pedro led the Christians. And, the Jews were led by Ephraim Santzi. These leaders wanted to know which of their faiths was the true religion of the one God. Ephraim, in an attempt to answer the question and not offend his colleagues, responded with a story.

Families from Puerto Rico are continuing to arrive in Cleveland, and the local faith community is stepping up to help children get a successful start in CMSD schools

Babies, babies, babies! It seems like I’m learning of a new birth or pregnancy daily. I love hearing these couples’ good news, celebrating with them, witnessing the love and excitement, hope and anticipation of discovering who these new souls will become and what their future accomplishments will be. Each new baby brings new opportunities, new possibilities, new joys.