From Generation to Generation: A story of intermarriage and Jewish continuity

by Jane Larkin

Overview

Part of me wanted to scream, "Ugh! This is too hard!" and call it quits. But I believed in Cameron and me, and I was not ready to give up. Not to mention, the idea of failing at another relationship was not so appealing either. If I had been in the practice of talking to God (I was not), now would have been a good time to appeal for some help. But since I felt that the combination of questioning my faith and my other transgressions over the past year had already earned me a black mark next to my name, I assumed that divine intervention would be asking for too much. A woman's unexpected entry into an interfaith marriage brings her closer to her roots than she ever imagined in this inspirational true story, From Generation to Generation. Written by Jane Larkin, a Jewish woman who made the difficult decision to marry outside her faith, this fascinating memoir explores an ancient religion in the face of modern times. Jane knew the statistics quite well: those who belong to interfaith households often lose their beliefs, neglect regular ritual observance, and raise children who are less likely to associate themselves with religious tradition. Having been raised in the midst of these gloomy statistics, Jane decides to enter into marriage with a fellow Jew, despite the fact that she is not in love. But she quickly realizes that a marriage based solely on shared faith is not a marriage that can last, and the union crumbles. Newly single, Jane soon falls in love with a non-Jewish man. Before she knows it, she finds herself embarking on the one adventure she had hoped to avoid at all costs: an interfaith marriage. But something surprising happens as they attempt to maneuver through this new marriage. Jane suddenly discovers that instead of pushing her away from her faith, their partnership actually urges her to reconnect with the roots of her faith and explore the meaning of Judaism more closely. Inspired by her interfaith marriage, Jane's exploration into Judaism helps transform her into a more conscious, thoughtful, and empowered Jewish woman. By facing her most profound fears, prejudices, and a shocking religious skeleton in her genealogical closet, Jane ultimately finds the strength to be herself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781495301520
Publisher:	CreateSpace Publishing
Publication date:	07/24/2014
Pages:	288
Product dimensions:	5.98(w) x 9.02(h) x 0.65(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Jane Larkin graduated with a BS from the Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University before going on to earn an MBA from Fordham University Graduate School of Business. She spent nineteen years working in marketing and financial services, collecting awards from GE Consumer and Retail Sales Finance, Inside PR, and the Public Relations Society of America (New York chapter).

A dedicated freelance writer, Larkin writes for InterfaithFamily.com and contributes to "The Seesaw" in The Forward. Her articles have appeared in The Forward, Tablet Magazine, ReformJudaism.org, Kveller.com and other outlets.

Larkin is the former chair of the outreach committee at the largest Reform congregation in the Southwest, and sits on the temple's board of trustees. She is active in National Council of Jewish Women Greater Dallas, Jewish Outreach Institute, Jewish National Fund, and is a founding member of the Jewish Women's Foundation of New Jersey.

She lives with her family in Dallas, Texas.

Editorial Reviews

11/10/2014
In this spirited memoir, Larkin, a columnist for he Jewish Daily Forward, presents a personal challenge to the idea that intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews spells doom for the Jewish people. Through the example of her own family and others where the children are raised as Jews, and with her citations of recent demographic and ancestry studies on the Jewish population, Larkin demonstrates convincingly that the key to continuity, intermarried or not, is active engagement with Jewish tradition. By contrast, inmarried families where engagement is low and Judaism is taken for granted often fare worse in transmitting Judaism’s core values. Beyond describing a model for other interfaith families, the book includes a call for greater welcome and outreach to intermarried families, and for abandoning the notion that a relatively high level of intermarriage—a natural consequence of living in an open society—should be seen as either a symptom of, or the reason for, modern Judaism’s “failure.” Engaging, bloglike, and conversational, the book unfortunately has gratuitous detail and grammatical errors that good editing could have eliminated. Yet Larkin’s disarming informality should not be mistaken for lack of substance. She is clearly an important voice in the current discussion of intermarriage and Jewish continuity. (BookLife)

Publishers Weekly

2014-10-09
A mother presents a debut guide to building a mindful, harmonious Jewish family life.Larkin blends a family memoir with religious exploration, in a thoughtful examination of Judaism and intermarriage. Raised Jewish, married to a supportive non-Jew and committed to raising her young son in her faith, she details the arduous but rewarding process of actively defining her family's religious life. She argues that intermarriage doesn't threaten Judaism at all, but can actually help increase one's involvement in the Jewish community. "Falling in love with a non-Jew," she writes, "was the spark that reconnected me to my faith," and this book is full of advice for readers in similar situations. She offers an overview of intermarriage and genealogy throughout history, looks at strategies for getting along with extended families and addresses the importance of discussing past and present anti-Semitism. The result is a thorough, sensitive and well-researched journey through the challenges and gifts that intermarried families—and Jewish families more generally—experience. Although an early section about the author's unhappy first marriage feels superfluous, she largely maintains an effective balance between her own experience and broader trends, making her story read like an intimate chat with a very knowledgeable friend. Although the book is geared mainly toward interfaith families who've chosen to raise Jewish children, it will likely interest anyone involved in an interfaith relationship. It's also an excellent starting point for those looking to engage further with its issues; its appendices include an extensive list of resources for continued study and a guide to starting an interfaith families group. The book's greatest strength, though, has little to do with Judaism specifically, and more to do with the author's clear-eyed appreciation of the nuances inherent in any community, religious or otherwise. "[I]t is the zigzags of our family histories," she writes, "that give the story of the Jewish people richness, depth, and diversity." That inclusive, open-minded attitude toward politically and emotionally charged subjects makes this book an edifying read for those of any faith.An enlightening, encouraging take on the complexities of religious intermarriage.

Kirkus Reviews