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Intermarrieds.com is a project of Messianic Jewish Theological Institute. Why is a seminary sponsoring a project related to intermarriage? We believe that marriage and family are not peripheral issues, but are at the core of Judaism. We also believe that Messianic Judaism offers something unique for intermarrieds, a way of life that brings Jews and Christians closer together. The intermarrieds project brings ideas out of the classroom and into the home.
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David has published numerous books and academic articles on the New Testament, Second Temple Judaism, Messianic Jews and Jewish-Christian intermarriage.
In 2008, David joined the faculty of Messianic Jewish Theological Institute (MJTI) as an assistant professor of Bible and Theology. He chairs the Theology Committee of the Union of Messianic Jewish Congregations (UMJC) and serves as scholar-in-residence at Ahavat Zion Messianic Synagogue in Beverly Hills.
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Those who have been privileged to attend seminars on marriage, family, and relationships by Dr. Ellen Goldsmith have encountered a warm and funny Jewish mind.
Dr. Goldsmith brings her years of experience as a licensed Marriage and Family therapist to bear on issues affecting families. She has been a Messianic Jew for twenty-five years and was intermarried to professional boxer Mike Quarry for twenty-three years until his passing in 2006.
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A number of us involved in Messianic Jewish Theological Institute have a passion for connecting with intermarried couples and their families. For some time we have been discussing the needs of the large and growing community of intermarrieds as well as the children of intermarriage.
The resources out there for intermarrieds tend to come either from Jewish organizations where couples are encouraged to embrace Judaism and leave behind Jesus or from interfaith groups where the faith aspects of Judaism and Christianity are downplayed or ignored .
Why not, we asked, let intermarrieds know about Messianic Judaism — a renewal movement within Judaism where the Christian and Jewish spouse can hold onto Judaism and Jesus?
David and Ellen were natural choices to be spokespersons for this project. David's family blends Jewish and Japanese cultures with a rich heritage of Jewish life on David's side and Christian life on Harumi's side. Ellen was happily married to a Christian who was also a well-known boxer until his untimely death in 2006. David is a biblical scholar with a Ph.D. from Cambridge University who brings his intermarried life into his theological pursuits. Ellen is a marriage and family counselor who not only counsels intermarrieds, but lived as an intermarried Jew for 23 years. |
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