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Interfaith Families Tell Their Stories
At the start of fall, Rabbi Debbie and Reverend Sam introduced the theme for the year: “Our Living Stories.” This theme was the inspiration for an IFFP storytelling event entitled: Real Life Stories from Interfaith Families, held on April 28th at Busboys and Poets: Takoma Park. The sold-out evening celebrated the power of stories and…
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Rabbi Debbie’s Supplemental Haggadah Readings for Passover 2024
Passover this year feels different from previous years. The world is in great turmoil; tensions are high and tempers are frayed. As you gather around your Seder table, you might be looking for some different perspectives for yourselves or to share. Below are some readings I have collected in light of this. Many of them…
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Embracing the Sacred Connection: Earth Day Reflections on the Tree of Life
As Earth Day approaches this year, falling on April 22nd, 2024, it prompts us to pause and reflect on the profound environmental challenges our planet faces. The roots of our environmental consciousness often intertwine with spiritual and religious teachings, emphasizing our interconnectedness with the natural world. This sentiment is echoed across diverse faith traditions, from…
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Embracing the Sacred Silence: Finding Comfort and Connection in Moments of Quiet Reflection
There is that sacred silent moment on Shabbat when the candles have just been lit and hands gently wave in the air and cover one’s eyes. There is that sacred silent moment during prayer when your hands are clasped together, your eyes close, and your head gently bows down. There is that sacred silent moment…
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Believing in the Impossible: Lessons from Easter and Diana Nyad
Diana Nyad wanted nothing more than to achieve the impossible. Her last name “Nyad” means water nymph and she took that name very seriously. In the 1970s Diana, had become famous for attempting these long-distance, seemingly impossible swims. She swam around the island of Manhattan (water most people actively avoid) and from the Bahamas to Florida. But…
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Passover and Easter: Food from an Interfaith Family
When I was a child, in our house we celebrated both Passover and Easter. This may seem like a very hard thing to do, given the many dietary restrictions during Passover. Believing that both sides should be given an equal chance to celebrate these two holidays, our family solved this problem. We adhered to the…
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IFFP Featured in “Faith & Leadership” A Learning Resource at Duke Divinity School
“On a chilly Sunday morning in a Rockville, Maryland, classroom, a group of eighth graders is deep into a discussion about whether there’s an afterlife and — if so — what it might entail. A few fairly standard depictions of heaven and hell give way to questions about reincarnation, reunion with lost loved ones, karma,…
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Navigating Identity: The Complex Story of Jewish Name Changes in 20th Century America
This blog post serves as a summarization of the thought-provoking presentation by IFFP member Stanley Drake. The original video, available on YouTube, captures a deep dive into the complexities of Jewish name changes in 20th-century America. In this insightful conversation, Stanley Drake explores the motivations, challenges, and societal dynamics that led many Jewish individuals and…
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Naming Children: What Interfaith Families Consider
Most couples give a lot of thought to choosing names for their children. They think about the sound of the name, how it might come to be shortened, what the initials might spell out. They think about what other people have had that name, how unusual or how common it might be. Sometimes they struggle…
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Teaching Holocaust History to Interfaith Kids – A Personal Journey
As January unfolds, our thoughts turn to International Holocaust Remembrance Day, observed annually on January 27th. This date holds significant historical importance as the United Nations General Assembly designated it in remembrance of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. This solemn day serves as a global tribute to honor the victims, survivors, and the collective memory of…
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Dilemmas or Delights? : Interfaith December Holiday Stories
By: Rabbi Debbie Reichmann and Reverend Samantha Gonzalez-Block It’s that time of the year again when interfaith families try to balance their celebrations of Christmas and Chanukah. It’s viewed as a season of negotiations and compromises (Can we have a Christmas tree…how about a Chanukah bush? How many presents should we give the kids…eight…ten…none? Whose…
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A Place at the Table: Embracing Differences in Faith and Feast
This piece was Rev. Samantha’s Thanksgiving reflection on November 19th, 2023. To watch a video of this reflection, scroll to the bottom of the page. It takes several hours – and some blood, sweat, and tears – to prepare and cook the perfect pastelón: a signature dish in my family, also lovingly known as Puerto…
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advent Being Both catholic Chanukah christian Christmas clergy community couples Easter environment epiphany esther families family god Hanukah Hanukkah hebrew holidays holocaust holy week hope IFFP inclusion interfaith interfaith families interfaith family jesus jewish justice lent love Moses Passover prayer rabbi Rabbi Debbie Rabbi Debbie Reichmann racial justice Rev. Samantha Gonzalez-Block reverend Reverend Sam seder sunday school Susan Katz Miller tikkun olam torah virtual wedding