Improve Your Communication
Relationships come in different stages: from dating to engagement to marriage to kids. And each stage has its own communication challenges.
Dating
As you get to know one another in the dating phase of your relationship, you'll likely find out just how differently you each communicate. For instance, you and your partner may not have the same definitions for words like “spirituality” and “tradition.” Defining terms can be helpful!
Book: Finding Spiritual Harmony in Your Jewish-Gentile Relationship
These insights can give hope to Jewish-Gentile couples struggling to overcome cross-cultural challenges. We’ve included interactive sections to help you practice translating your different values and experiences together.
Planning a Wedding
One of the biggest communication challenges you’ll face as a Jewish-Gentile couple will be in planning your wedding. How will your ceremony reflect your beliefs—whether you're religious, spiritual, or more secular? Think about which cultural symbols you may (or may not) want featured at the event. How will your families be involved? Carefully talking through all the details together beforehand can make your big day go smoothly!
Free Booklet: Take a look at 30 Tips for Navigating Your Interfaith Wedding,a free resource that aims to help you navigate these possible extra challenges. You and your fiancé both bring unique and important heritages to the (wedding) table!
Life Together Without Children
So, you’re committed to doing life together, and the two of you are forming your own household. What will your rhythms and habits be? What cultural traditions will you observe? How will you bring spirituality and/or religion into your home? Understanding how your cultural identities combine to form one new shared identity will be crucial to your growth as a couple.
Listen to our podcast with the Botbol’s story about how they approach the joys and challenges of being an intermarried couple.
Life Together With Children
If you’ve welcomed one or more kiddos into your family, Mazel Tov! You’ve probably discovered how, in this stage, the question of identity takes on new meaning. And no matter how many decisions and traditions you have talked about, there are always more that come up. It’s not too late… you can start now. You can figure out how to pass down heritage in your cross-cultural family.
Free resource: Printable Jewish Coloring Pages. We created a set of 12 unique colorable illustrations that are a great way to learn about the Jewish holidays and celebrate them with your loved ones!
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