Supermodel Karlie Kloss is having quite a month—first she converted to Judaism and then she got engaged to longtime boyfriend, Josh Kushner. Judging by her fantastic ring and huge smile, Karlie is incredibly happy and I am very happy for her!
I find it interesting that both Kushner brothers, Josh and Jared, prefer models and both managed to convince said models to convert (Ivanka Trump being the other one). They are a wonderful example that we can—and should—tackle intermarriage by encouraging non-Jewish spouses to convert.
There is no difference between Jews by birth and Jews by choice. Anyone who wants to be part of the Jewish community and is willing to raise Jewish children should not only be welcomed, they should be celebrated. If we turn them away, it would be a huge mistake—one that I have personally witnessed and spoken out against many times.
For far too long, Judaism has discouraged converts and it has hurt us. We need to be open, we need to be engaging, and we need to be receptive towards couples who may be considering conversion. With 70% of the younger generation marrying outside the faith, we are clearly doing something wrong. Let’s try a different approach if we truly want growth. Let’s invest money into outreach. Let’s have temples that treat everyone equally. Let’s offer the hand of friendship to the extended family members of spouses who convert.
There are a hundred things we can try. Doing nothing and pretending that intermarriage will magically reverse is NOT the answer. Unless we take action to make conversion a real possibility, we can not fix the alarming exodus of young people away from Judaism.
I love our community, but we are not perfect. There are too many folks who refuse to change and acknowledge modern issues. Intermarriage is the biggest crisis of modern Jewry, period. By opening our doors, as the Kushner family has, we can fix it.
If the 2 brothers would only marry these women if they converted, which is what it seems like, why would they get in serious relationships with non Jewish women if they only wanted to marry women that shared their faith? Would they have broken up with them if they chose not to convert? I am a Christian and its great when a loved one converts or shares your faith, but if sharing my faith was a requirement of mines to marry a significant other and after years together they refused but I knew what I required I would broke up with them I would have just wasted their time! But maybe they are honest with them from the start! Sorry for the rant , lol!
I totally understand what you’re saying and respect your feelings. Ivanka and Jared did break up for a time because she originally didn’t want to convert but later changed her mind. I would never try to convert anyone against their will and everyone should be honest and upfront before the relationship gets serious. Some people are very interested in their faith while their partner may not be religious at all. If one person feels strongly and the other doesn’t, there is a chance that over time, they may warm up to conversion. Personally, I could not be married to a man that didn’t want to live a Jewish lifestyle and I felt that way going back to my teens. I never hid it from anyone I ever dated and I suspect the Kushners are the same way. Obviously, both husband and wife need to be on the same page. I think it would impossible to have two religions in one house.
I am a Christian, however I understand where you are coming from. There are so many not practicing any religion or spirituality, being jewis, being a Christian, etc… I will be honest and say there is much I do not know about the Jewish religion but I respect you, it, because I feel your truly genuine and honest in your belief. I know what our bible says about Jewish people which is good, however I was raised/reared as S Christian and am a Christian. I do feel that so many younger people aren’t putting religion as an important part of their relationship at all and understand why you say it should be celebrated. Without two people growing together in every way it doesn’t last usually. Therefore it should be celebrated. I respect you in that you do not fear sharing who you are and what you believe and you are open minded and respect others.
I completely understand that you feel strongly about being a Christian and I respect your faith. I know many wonderful Christians who love the Jewish community and love Israel. I have no problem with Christians at all. We both worship the same God and should be friends. I do, however, have a problem with 70% intermarriage rates. When Jews and Christians marry, usually the children are raised Christian. Because there are 2 billion Christians and only 15 million Jews, we literally can’t afford to lose a single member, whereas you guys have way more people so it’s not critical to Christianity surviving as a whole.
Conversion does not work. When Karlie and Ivanka are divorced and you know they will eventually, their kids will start having Xmas tree and that stuff. Jews need to marry Jews. That was our practice for centuries and only that will work.
In a perfect world, Jews could find other Jews to marry all the time. In the modern world, it’s not so easy. I’d rather focus on the marriage than the divorce. None of us know what the future will bring. Yes, divorce is possible, and so is being widowed. But I am optimistic that conversion can work if the spouses are on the same page.