Prominent Rabbi to Speak On Raising Interfaith Families

GENEVA, IL — Rabbi Reni Dickman, executive director of the Chicago Board of Rabbis and senior educator of the Jewish United Fund, will be the featured speaker in an interactive community event focusing on challenges and opportunities related to raising interfaith families on Sept. 9 at the Geneva Public Library. The event, “Navigating Life as an Interfaith Family,” is being organized by Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors and is free to the public to attend, according to a news release.

Rabbi Dickman intends to facilitate a discussion covering a range of topics, to include how parents can navigate raising interfaith families in today’s society, what a truly inclusive community looks like and the current landscape of the Jewish community. The event will take place at 7 p.m. on Sept. 9 in the large meeting room area at the Geneva Public Library.

“Interfaith families are much more widely accepted by society today than ever before, but that does not mean that raising an interfaith family is easy,” Rabbi Dickman said. “From determining how to handle holidays and lifecycle events to trying to honor the religious expectations of parents to searching for a sense of community, there are many challenges and opportunities for interfaith families to navigate. I look forward to an open, interactive conversation exploring these and other topics that are on the minds of Fox Valley community members.”

Some of the other interfaith dynamics Rabbi Dickman helps navigate include how to work through varying religious priorities with partners and how synagogues and other religious institutions can create welcoming, non-judgmental environments for interfaith families. Attendees are encouraged to share their personal stories and learn from one another’s successes and challenges, according to the news release.

Rabbi Dickman brings extensive experience on the topic, having previously served as director of InterfaithFamily Chicago. She served as the rabbi of Sinai Temple in Michigan City, Ind., from 2004-2017, and during that time also served on the faculty of two Chicago area Jewish day schools. Rabbi Dickman strives to present Judaism as a compelling, flexible and comforting path to wrestle with our deepest concerns and celebrate our greatest joys, and is dedicated to combining Jewish education with service and advocacy.

Fox Valley Jewish Neighbors, based in Geneva, is an inclusive Jewish community group that seeks to enrich lives, enhance connections and be a resource for the local community. FVJN offers educational, social, religious and charitable programs built upon Jewish values, heritage and character.

For more information on FVJN, visit www.fvjn.org.