Assimilation by marrying people outside the Jewish faith is one of the inevitable outcomes of diaspora. Iranian Jews are intermarrying with non-Jews and building families. At VBS, the goal is to include mixed families and create a space for them. Often, the non-Jewish spouses develop an interest in, and passion for Jewish life, and are committed to observing Jewish traditions. Rabbi Feinstein wants to make these mixed families more Jewish. “I want to find a way to bring Jews who married non-Jews together to create a Jewish life, because I think Jewish life is a beautiful way to live.”

The Conservative movement does not perform interfaith marriages yet, but they welcome mixed families into their synagogue and school. Rabbi Feinstein believes that if Jewish life is made attractive, fun, and engaging, people will not want anything else. The synagogue cannot prevent anyone from marrying outside of the faith, but it can convince and teach individuals how to continue leading a Jewish life.

VBS has changed in the last 25 years by becoming acculturated. The Iranian Jews’ attitudes differed with regard to marrying outside the faith by being more supportive, recognizing the cultural differences within different faiths. This time Iranians did not have a debate about whether they should welcome mixed families; rather, they were in part the initiators who asked to create a space that welcomed mixed-faith families, hoping couples would continue living a Jewish life regardless of their faith differences.

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