There’s a program at the Jewish Community Center in Manhattan on Tuesday, February 13, called “Interfaith Dating Workshop” that caught my attention:

Dating can be hard enough, but sometimes dating outside the Jewish faith can be really, really difficult. Join others in similar situations to discuss the challenges and attractions of interfaith dating. This discussion will give you the opportunity to air what’s on your mind and explore the pros and cons of the choices we have.

Most outreach programs hosted by Jewish communal institutions focus on already-married interfaith couples, in the hope that they will raise Jewish children. The fact that this program is for not-yet-married couples is rather bold of the JCC, when there are still so many elements in the organized community who would have only one answer for such couples: break up! We look forward to seeing more of these innovative approaches, both from the JCC in Manhattan and other institutions across North America.