Tomorrow night is our Interfaith Family Shabbat (look it up on Interfaithways.com), where we will celebrate the non-Jewish parents and spouses who have chosen to share themselves and commit to this community. I've spoken about blessing non-Jews on the bimah before, so I won't belabor that point. but I would like to share some words (specifically, Rabbi Janet Marder of Temple Beth Am in California) of why this is an important and significant moment in the life of this congregation.
We are blessed to have those who, in choosing to marry a Jewish person, have chosen to commit themselves to the Jewish people and to our congregation. While they have not converted, they live Jewish lives, support Jewish spouses and family members, raise Jewish children, and have chosen, in loving a Jewish individual, to love us as a people. I can't think of anything more worthy of a congregation's blessing, but as they used to say on Reading Rainbow, you don't have to take my word for it. Read Rabbi Marder's blessing below.
Blessing for Non-Jewish Spouses—Yom Kippur Morning - URJ
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