Susan Katz Miller's Blog, page 24

Successful Hindu and Christian Interfaith Marriage: Saffron Cross

What the world needs now is inspiring models for interfaith families. Because love is essential, but not sufficient. This monthsees the publication of my book Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family. But I am thrilled to be sharing my publication month with two other books on interfaith families (our books were featured together recently in Publishers Weekly). Rabbi Michal Woll and Catholic writer Jon M. Sweeney are publishing Mixed-Up Love (I look forward to appearing on...

Sukkoth in a Community of Interfaith Families

The three great agricultural festivals in Judaism–Sukkoth, Passover, and Shavuot–tie us to our ancient origins, when we lived in intimate relation to nature. During the week of Sukkoth, we build temporary outdoor huts (or tabernacles), cover them with branches, and festoon them with harvest fruits. We are commanded to eat and sleep in the Sukkah–to look up through the branches at the stars, and sense our own fragility, and the infinity of the universe. Sukkoth appeals in part because it draws...

Being Both: Arrival and Book Tour

The first hardbound copy of Being Both: Embracing Two Religions in One Interfaith Family just arrived at my door. I immediately unwrapped the dust jacket to peek at the lovely naked book inside: gold lettering on a burgundy cloth spine. Early reviews also celebrate the birth of the book, from Kirkus (“An insightful examination of one way that religious beliefs are shaping American families”) to Booklist. If you pre-ordered a copy, it should ship to you on the official publication date, just f...

High Holy Days 2013: Finding an Interfaith Community

This post is adapted from last year, with new links to upcoming services.

Shofar blast! The Jewish High Holy Days begin extraordinarily early this year. Rosh Hashanah starts on the evening of September 4th, and Yom Kippur on the evening of September 13th. Autumn sends many interfaith families in search of a spiritual home. Some of us find shelter in Unitarian-Universalist communities, or in Quaker or Baha’i or Buddhist practice. For those who want to give children a specific (though not neces...

Interfaith Love for Christian Hymns and Contra Dance

Camp Community Art Project: Diversity and Unity

You don’t have to be Jewish to love rye bread. And you don’t have to be Christian to love gospel, hymns, Sacred Harp singing, and other forms of traditional folk music rooted in European-American and African-American Christian cultures.

As a member of a Jewish and Christian interfaith family, I am aware that we have now entered the month of Elul in the Hebrew calendar, a time of reflection leading up to the High Holy Days. Looking ahead, we have R...

Ask Interfaith Mom: My Kids are Bored at High Holy Days. Help!

Dear Interfaith Mom,

I love our interfaith families community and being a member has helped me, and my marriage. But I like to go to the synagogue that I grew up in for the High Holidays, and that’s what we’ve done for the past few years. I want my children to know what a synagogue is like–what it looks and feels like.I was signing up for tickets and told my six and four-year-old children that I was signing them up for the children’s service while I’m in the main sanctuary. They both said no,...

Successful Interfaith Marriage: Reza Aslan and Jessica Jackley

Reza Aslan’s newest book, Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, had already reached the bestseller list when a video clip of the author went viral this week. The religion scholar appeared on Fox news to explain his latest work, but the host repeatedly and outrageously questioned why a Muslim would be writing a book about Jesus.

Aslan–the acclaimed author of No god but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam–demonstrated extraordinary grace and patience on the show, explainin...

Ask Interfaith Mom: What About Humanist or Atheist Interfaith Families?

Dear Interfaith Mom:

We’re a family that is interfaith by heritage, but we don’t belong to any religious community. And we’re fine with that. We’re atheists, we lead a secular life, and we already have plenty of communities (through our neighborhood, schools, family and work). Why do you put so much emphasis on the importance of interfaith family communities? Not every interfaith family feels a need to commune with other interfaith families.

–Sincerely, Happy Humanist

Dear Happy Humanist,

If you...

Cathedral of the Pines: A Worship Space for All Faiths

My husband and I were lucky enough to be driving around New England on a recent summer weekend when we spotted the Cathedral of the Pines on a map. We drove an extra hour to Rindge, New Hampshire, to see this 200-acre outdoor worship space founded in 1945 in response to World War II, for “all faiths, one family, one earth.” I love a cathedral. And the idea of a plein-air cathedral struck me as inspired and inspiring.

I was curious to see how this memorial and sanctuary wove together the thread...

Mourning Andrew Pochter: Bridge-Builder from a Christian and Jewish Interfaith Family

The tragic death of 21-year-old college student Andrew Pochter, killed during protests in Egypt last Friday, hit close to home for more than one reason. Pochter was from the Maryland suburbs of DC, and attended schools in the same school system as my college-aged daughter. But also, like me, he was the child of a Christian mother and a Jewish father. I believe Pochter displayed the positive hallmarks of that interfaith heritage: he devoted his life to building metaphorical bridges. He had th...