A piece by Emma Green at the Atlantic on the intermarriage crisis inside the Jewish community suggests that the whole purpose of Birthright is evidently to create Jewish couples.
Those who actually went on Birthright were 45 percent more likely [than the young people who were waitlisted for the program] to marry someone Jewish. This “is some kind of reflection of the experience in Israel, although there is no preaching during the ten days,” said Gidi Mark, the International CEO of Taglit-Birthright Israel.
In relating the comments of Jews who deplore intermarriage, Green says that the language is offensive in a wider American context:
“Would you ever marry a non-Jew?” Sharon asked [a group of friends in D.C.] from the backseat. Answers varied; one person said she wasn’t sure, while another said she might consider marrying someone who was willing to convert. Debates about intermarriage, or marriage outside of the faith, are common in the Jewish community, but her question still struck me as remarkable. Here were four twentysomething women who hardly knew each other, already talking about the eventuality of marriage and apparently radical possibility that we would ever commit our lives to someone unlike us. This conversation seemed very “un-Millennial”–as a whole, our generation is marrying later, becoming more secular, and embracing different cultures more than any of our predecessors. If the same question had been asked about any other aspect of our shared identities–being white, being educated, coming from middle or upper-middle class backgrounds—it would have seemed impolite, if not offensive.
And here’s Green’s reporting on JDate, which she also suggests is offensive.
JDate sees itself as more than a dating service. “The mission is to strengthen the Jewish community and ensure that Jewish traditions are sustained for generations to come,” said Greg Liberman, the CEO. “The way that we do that is by making more Jews.”
Indeed, pictures of so-called “JBabies” featured prominently in promotional materials sent over by the JDate team. In JDate’s view, these new Jews will be the future of the people, but they’re also good for business. “If we’re at this long enough, if Jews who marry other Jews create Jewish kids, then creating more Jews ultimately repopulates our ecosystem over time,” said Liberman.
The “JBabies” that have resulted from marriages started on the Jewish dating service, JDate. (JDate advertising materials)
It’s hard to imagine this kind of language being used in other communities without provoking outrage, particularly if it was used in a racial context. But perhaps because they are so assimilated or because of their long history of persecution, Jews are given a collective pass in American culture—this casual reference to racial preservation seems almost wry and ironic
It appears that Spark Networks, which owns JDate, also runs Christian Mingle, Catholic Mingle, and services aimed at getting black people to date black people, Latinos to date Latinos, and LDS to stick to LDS dates. Sparks has Jewish leadership. And this is regarded as a worthy Jewish enterprise, to keep folks marrying other folks like themselves? This is a story for the Forward. I don’t think that Jews can be given a collective pass on language of a racist character, notwithstanding persecution. And assimilation/empowerment only increases the obligation to represent a broad society.
Marrying “outside the faith” or “marrying outside the community” or “marrying outside The Jewish People” ? Is “Jewish” a matter of faith (belief), social practice (synagogue attendance for example), blood lines, or what?
Could “the faith” mean a “faith” that whatever Israel does is “good for the Jewish People”?
I still don’t understand why they don’t change the rules on who is a Jew.
“Would you ever marry a non-Jew?” is a question they can only ask to very young people.
Would you ever marry someone from outside Union county ?
Would you ever marry someone from outside the M25?
Birthright has to capture them before they start thinking for themselves, before they are exposed to the richness of the world, before they can understand that Avi, the cool paratrooper with the butt to die for, has spent his whole miserable life being indoctrinated.
“I don’t think that Jews can be given a collective pass on language of a racist character,” Too true, in the same vein I do not like seemingly exclusive groups like “Christians for”, “Jews for” or “men in the moon for” they no doubt mean well but the particular designation does not invite participation from people not of that group, maybe it is unthinking, maybe not, similar to Wendy Sherman’s racist description of the Iranian nuclear negotiating team,.. “We know that deception is part of (Iran’s) DNA.” Had she said that of people of Jewish origin she would have been drummed out of the state department and quite rightly so. http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article36747.htm
Wasn’t the creation of a Jewish state suppose to stop all that assimilation horror? Yet another Zionist promise that failed to deliver.
Debates about intermarriage, or marriage outside of the faith, are common in the Jewish community, but her question still struck me as remarkable.
No vague or evasive circumlocutions about “faith” are used to disguise the lack of personal religious belief. Tribal rites of initiation performed on a parent or other qualifying relative will usually suffice.