Julie Wiener's blog

 A week and a half ago I mentioned here that Kveller, a new Jewish parenting website was due to arrive this fall.

Well, I am pleased to see that it seems to have emerged from the womb sometime last week. While I am not privy to the labor-and-delivery details (Ob-gyn or midwife? Natural or C-section?), from what I can see the newborn is attractive and in good health — and, with hundreds of articles and listings, already has a lot to say.

I'm a guest blogger today at Mayyim Hayyim, the innovative community mikveh in Boston founded (in part) by Anita Diamant, the author of "The Red Tent," "How to Raise a Jewish Child" and many other works of fiction and nonfiction. Here's my post:

In going through my litany of shortcomings each Yom Kippur, it’s generally hard to avoid a biggie: my failure to fast.

Now, before you dash off a comment about how, after intermarriage, I’m the single greatest threat to Jewish continuity, let it be known that I do not completely neglect the rites of Judaism’s holiest day. I do go to synagogue all day and, while I am not a hard-core “not one morsel of food or even a drop of water for 25 hours” type, I’m also not one of those people who spends Yom Kippur gorging on bacon and lobster while I sneer condescendingly at the primitive folks who are so stupid and superstitious as to believe in God.

My friend Ed Case of Interfaithfamily.com is becoming Mr. Jewish Federation!

In November, he’s on the roster of speakers at the Jewish Federations of North America’s General Assembly in New Orleans, appearing in a panel entitled “Can We Encourage In-Marriage and Welcome Interfaith Families?” He’ll be debating none other than Steven “Intermarriage=Single Greatest Threat” M. Cohen: I’m hoping they live stream or at least videotape this exchange, in which case I’ll of course embed it here, if I can figure out how!

I never attended Hebrew school as a child, but in the past 13 years, as a journalist for Jewish publications, I’ve spent so much time visiting day schools, congregational schools and summer camps (not to mention, interviewing parents, teachers, students and other stakeholders) that I’ve more than made up for it.

So it was an odd feeling this Sunday to be inside a congregational school not as a reporter, but as a mom.

A few years ago, when I wrote an article for The Wall Street Journal about increasing numbers of gentile moms raising Jewish kids, I was amused by the editor’s headline choice: “But Will The Chicken Soup Taste As Good?”

In fact, a sizable number of non-Jewish men and women who have married into the Tribe are taking on the responsibility of cooking the family’s chicken soup, along with other traditional Jewish dishes.

If you aren’t completely sick of hearing about Chelsea Clinton and Marc Mezvinsky’s co-officiated wedding, you may want to read Rabbi James Ponet’s piece for Tablet about his decision to officiate at intermarriages.

I think I may have the opposite problem of Rabbi Marc Schneier, the prominent Orthodox spiritual leader who has been divorced four times — and is facing ethics charges from the Rabbinical Council of America.

I think I may have the opposite problem of Rabbi Marc Schneier, the prominent Orthodox spiritual leader who has been divorced four times — and is facing ethics charges from the Rabbinical Council of America.

So, I've decided to fork over the money and become a full-fledged synagogue member -- which means, among other things, my family and I have a place to go for the holidays. Will fill you in on the details in my next post.

For those of you who are still what Jewish insiders refer to in troubled voices as "The Unaffiliated," (usually in the same worried tone as they say "The Intermarried") there are lots of options if you want to go to High Holiday services next week.