A few years later, we moved from New Jersey to Miami and my mother thought it would be a good idea for me to have a Jewish education. She sent me to Temple Beth Am where I had my confirmation at age 16. To tell you the truth, I never did understand what was going on and had no idea about any of the family and home rituals because we didn't have a Jewish practice in the home. There was this spiritual yearning that started to bubble up in me and I became a seeker, exploring many different faiths and cultures.For Hanukkah one year when I was about 6 or 7 years old, my grandmother bought me the book "World's Greatest Religions, a Time LIfe Book". I would sit for hours looking at all the different religions from around the world in awe and wonder and was just passionate about learning different traditions. This was not very common like it is today. That is why I love where we are in the world today. Borders and walls have come down and barriers of acceptance among people are starting to happen. Yes, there is still a lot of work to do, but the multi-­racial and bi-cultural families are becoming a norm. 

Why did you start Jewish Interfaith Wedding Network & Sacred Events?

I started JIWN because I wanted interfaith and intercultural couples to have a safe and comfortable place to come and plan their wedding and ceremony. A place where they could receive support and positive reinforcement for their major life-changing decision of marrying someone who was from a different background. A majority of our couples had plenty of naysayers on their way and we wanted to be the place they could come that was a positive experience and celebrated their partner's diversity.One of our parents last year went to 6 or 7 rabbis before they found us. The family was an active member of a synagogue for many years and their rabbis wouldn't perform the ceremony. He was pretty heartbroken and about to give up, and when he found us, he was overjoyed. We created a beautiful ceremony for his son and daughter-­in-­law. They were so appreciative.

It seems like welcoming interfaith couples is central to your work. Why is this so important to you?

My family has an interfaith component to it, as well. My stepmother, who I love very much, is from a Polish Catholic tradition. She converted to Judaism to marry my dad, which was a requirement back in the early 1960’s. She sent all the children to religious school. One of my half-­brothers is Jewish and the other is Christian. My step­mother is considering joining a synagogue, even though my dad has been deceased for over 50 years.

For the past 20 years, I've been married to a rabbi and for the first time in my life, I've discovered the beauty of the Jewish tradition. He teaches a kind and compassionate view of Judaism, a new perspective for me. During the first 10 years together, I studied with many great rabbis who taught the intention and meaning behind the rituals and traditions; Rabbi Arthur Waskow, Rabbi Michael Strassfeld, Rabbi Zalman Schachter Shalomi z’tl to name a few. I experimented with new and interesting ways to practice a Jewish life, incorporating practices I was learning from the Eastern traditions.

Can you tell me about the new blog you are setting up? Who will it be a resource for?