Why do jewish men date outside of their religion?

Studies have shown that a growing number of Jewish men prefer to date, and eventually marry, outside of their religion. This is especially true of young Jewish adults. It is estimated that one out of every two Jewish men under the age of 35 tend to marry non-Jewish women. The exact reasons are as varied as the individuals themselves, but there are a few that are most often cited.

Some of the younger Jews feel restricted when told to marry inside of their religion. Thinking that there should be more to life and wanting to expand their horizons, they try to date non-Jews. They enjoy the freedom of being able to date without having to think about religious limits.

Out of curiosity and a need to grow, young Jews also think that they can learn more by interacting with people from different backgrounds than with those who are within their immediate community. They argue that it is far more enriching to share discoveries with a person so unlike them. This attitude is fostered by the atmosphere in America where diversity and multi-cultural tolerance is encouraged.

Still, for others, religion has declined in importance such that it is no longer necessary to consider it when choosing who to date or marry. For them, faith has taken a back seat in favor love, character, compatibility, values in life and shared beliefs. The choice of life partner then, for them, becomes a matter of the heart and their conscience.

Liberal Jews such as Philip Weiss, in his New York Observer column, even said that opposition to intermarriage is tantamount to being racist. They claim that to reject non-Jews makes them no better than those who have oppressed them for their religious beliefs throughout thousands of years of recorded history.

Traditionalists, on their part, voice their concerns about the dangers of intermarriage. As more Jews intermarry, less of their children get a Jewish upbringing and supplementary Jewish education. There lies the real threat of their population dwindling and the Jewish line discontinued. They are primarily fighting for the preservation of their faith and of their race.

Whatever the future holds for the Jewish race and for everyone else, one thing is certain. Dating and marriage are profoundly personal experiences. The choice as to what path should be undertaken is the choice of the individual. That being said, it is the individual Jew’s responsibility to make an informed choice by educating himself about his heritage, what it means to him, and how he would like it to influence his life.