Marrying Out: Jewish Men, Intermarriage, and Fatherhood

As the 20th century began, Jews and Christians were intermarrying at a rate between 2% and 3.2%. By the close of the century, that number rose to 54%, in 1996–2000. Alarm among Jewish organizations has led to studies and discussions about coping with what was seen as a threat to Jewish survival. Historian McGinity, who is now affiliated with Brandeis University, was a research fellow at the University of Michigan when she conducted the interviews that led to this book and its well-received predecessor, Still Jewish: A History of Women and Intermarriage in America (2009). The volunteer participants in the study, all from Ann Arbor, included 54 men. Their residence and association with the University of Michigan raise serious doubts about how representative they are of American Jewish men. Nevertheless, McGinity asserts that “patterns are evident,” including their insistence on raising Jewish children. Far less controversial and more interesting is her analysis of how intermarriage is depicted in novels, films, TV, and plays. She concludes with a moving plea for a society in which “family values” prevail. (Sept.)