The book of Ezra tells of the re-establishment of organized Jewish life in Judea about 2,500 years ago after the Persian emperors allowed Jews to return from their Babylonian exile and to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. There apparently was a high rate of intermarriage among both the returning exiles and those Jews who had remained in Judea. Ezra was a priest sent by the Persians to lead the rebuilding project. He saw intermarriage as a serious threat.
As we look at these texts and some other readings, I want to ask that we keep some big questions in mind:
- What’s good, or bad, about intermarriage and other interfaith relations? What are opponents afraid of? Are their fears justified? What are the benefits of intermarriage and social interconnections between Jews and others?
- How are our own, individual experiences with blended families working to make us better people? Better Jews?
"Interfaith Marriages Stir Mixed Feelings," New York Times, 4 August 2010
[The article looks at responses to the marriage of Chelsea Clinton, daughter of Bill and Hilary Clinton, to Marc Mezvinsky. A rabbi and a Methodist minister co-officiated.]
... Gary Rosenblatt, editor of The Jewish Week in New York, called the wedding “a Rorschach test” that reveals “how you feel about intermarriage and assimilation.” Among many Jews who might “frown on this wedding,” he said, “there’s a secret pride — look, one of our guys.”
But most Orthodox groups adamantly reject intermarriage. Avi Shafran, public affairs director of Agudath Israel of America, a leading traditional Orthodox organization, said in an e-mail, “The toll being taken by intermarriage on the identifiably American Jewish community is obviously a grave one.”
Liberal groups like the Reform Jews believe that they have found an approach for keeping spouses who, like Ms. Clinton, do not convert to Judaism within the Jewish fold. Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, president of the Union of Reform Judaism, said synagogues actively embraced non-Jewish spouses and let them perform synagogue roles.
He said he hoped Ms. Clinton and Mr. Mezvinsky would raise any children they have in a “stable religious tradition, because that’s what works.” And, as a rabbi, he hopes the tradition will be Jewish.
"Chelsea Clinton And Marc Mezvinsky Welcome Third Child," Forward, by Jenny Singer, 22 July 2019
... The couple appear to be raising their children with some practices from both traditions, not that it’s any of our business. We’re wishing mazal to Chelsea, Marc, Charlotte, Aidan, and, of course, Jasper. And this is a friendly reminder that if they want to keep up with the joneses — in this case, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump — they should start picking out High Holiday-friendly onesies now.
The book of Ruth is set in the time before the establishment of the kingdom of Israel, when each tribe had its own leadership. In many ways, it functions as a rebuttal to Ezra because of its positivity to the idea of intermarriage between Israelites/Jews and others. It is particularly noteworthy that the story makes her the great-grandmother of King David, founder of the dynasty that ruled Judea until the Babylonian conquest.
(17) and the women neighbors gave him a name, saying, “A son is born to Naomi!” They named him Obed; he was the father of Jesse, father of David.