Double or Nothing? Jewish Families and Mixed Marriage

Sylvia Barack Fishman, an active JOFA Board member, heads the program in Contemporary Jewish Life in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Department at Brandeis University and is co-director of the Hadassah–Brandeis Institute. Her book, “A Breath of Life: Feminism in the American Jewish Community,” is an invaluable guide to American Jewish feminism. Her most recent work, “Double or Nothing” deals with the impact of intermarriage on American Jews and on American Judaism. The fluidity and openness of American culture means that often both partners maintain their pre-marriage religious identity. Using her analysis of 254 original interviews with mixed marriage families, group discussions, as well as the latest survey data from the 2000 National Population Survey, Professor Fishman skillfully explores the impact of this phenomenon and what it means for the future. Which religion will the children be raised in? What is the role of extended family members and how do the children construct their own ethno-religious identities? She stresses the important role of education in maintaining Jewish affiliation. In a fascinating section Fishman examines depictions of intermarriage in contemporary films, books and television. This book is a serious and valuable analysis of a phenomenon that is changing the parameters of American Jewish life.