Raising children in interfaith households

Figuring out a compromise each December between hanukkah and christmas is one thing for an interfaith household. Figuring out how to educate and raise children in an interfaith household can be a whole new ballgame that can bring heightened emotions from parents and extended family alike.

Susan Katz Miller, who is writing a book on raising dual-faith children, understands this issue from the perspective of a child and from the perspective of a mother. She and her husband are raising their children in an interfaith community and teaching them both Judaism and Christianity, the couple’s backgrounds.

“I think the biggest challenge is finding a religious pathway that makes both spouses feel comfortable while also experiencing religion as something that unites the family rather than dividing it,” she says.

Katz Miller says interfaith communities are springing up throughout the country and can be a good fit for interfaith families. Such communities are also good sources of support when dealing with extended family members who might have religious expectations for children.