Religion: Barrier to Entry
Marriage and Judaism. The two go together like peas in a pod… if you’re Jewish, you marry someone Jewish. This is because intermarriage poses the greatest threat to the future of Jewish survival. And I’m sure many who affiliate with any religion can also relate. Since I was a little girl, it has been implied that whoever I marry, will be Jewish. Without question, it’s the unspoken truth of the Jewish standard and my Jewish heritage. Recently, I was asked if I still plan on marrying a Jew. And without hesitation, I quickly said “yes!” But now I have been thinking: What is so wrong with other religions that intermarriage has become such a threat? Being born and raised in Los Angeles, I am tolerant of this issue. Though, I feel it on a microscopic scale. However, people around the world experience harsh penalties of indulging in relationships with people of different religious affiliations. The discrimination I face for a relationship with someone of a different religion is trivial, while others suffer greatly from the discrimination they face. As tolerant as I am to all of this – has the societal expectation and pressure of marrying someone Jewish made me less likely to engage in a conversation with someone of a different religion? Have I not been as 18
