It All Begins with a Date: Jewish Concerns about Intermarriage

by Alan Silverstein

Book Overview

The former president of the Rabbinical Assembly addresses the Conservative movement's approach to interdating and intermarriage.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1568215428
• ISBN13: 9781568215426
• Release Date: September 1995
• Publisher: Jason Aronson
• Length: 248 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Preventing assimilation

First of all, I want to be upfront; this book is for the Jewish reader and I am posting a review that may well be read by a general readership. However, this book should not be considered offensive by non Jews. Rabbi Silverstein, in a question and answer format, argues cogently against both intermarriage and the first step to intermarriage which is interdating. The reason this should be considered unoffensive is because Rabbi Silverstein is motivated by the desire to preserve the small Jewish minority in this country; he is not motivated by rascism or ill will towards non Jews. I have met the Rabbi several times and he is a wonderful, person whose sole motivation is the one I set forth, not a belief that Jews are superior to non Jews.I have no problem with interacial dating and marriage. However, as to interreligious marriage, we must remember that a society wishes to preserve it's culture and, indeed it's very existence. Accordingly, regardless of the race of the couple (and they may well be of different races, eg, a white Jew and Eithiopean Jew) fostering a continuity of religious traditions and beliefs is a normal and desireable goal of religious groups. I think this is desireable for all religious and cultural groups. It is particularly important for the American Jew because as a very small minority, the Jewish culture is threatened with assimilation and virtual extinction.Rabbi Silverstein argues against interdating, as the title suggests. After all, every marriage begins with a first date. If a couple gets together for a brief relationship which they plan to break off, what happens when the two fall in love? Rabbi Silverstein points out that the problem is avoided if they do not begin dating.Again, I point out that this review is a rather delicate one because it argues for a degree of separation between cultural groups. However, this is predicated on preservation of a culture and of long standing religious tradition. It is not predicated on any view of the superiority of one religious or cultural group over another. All such groups are precious and deserve to be continued and revered. However, due to the small American Jewish population and the high rate of assimilation, an extra effort is necessary to foster this continuity.