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Jewish-Christian Dialogue has flourished during the past 50 years. The range of issues include worship, scripture, theology, anti- Semitism, the Holocaust, Israel, social activism, and local issues facing Jews and Christians around the world. There have been very few conversations about the most significant threat to Jewish survival since the Holocaust, interfaith marriage. Though the actual rates of interfaith marriage varies greatly today, most scholars agree that the percentage of Jews marrying non-Jews who then do not raise children identified as Jews will greatly diminish the Jewish community of the 21st century. An Indelicate Silence reviews these issues for the purpose of initiating a serious dialogue between Jews and Christian leaders about interfaith marriage. There is a scriptural base used to help both parties discuss the core values outside of the specific pastoral issues. Every non-Orthodox rabbi today faces demands from within their congregation regarding interfaith families, yet few Christian clergy are prepared to engage in a dialogue. Are Christians interested in the survival of Jews and Judaism? Are Jews willing to share their fears of the future?

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Joseph Edelheit is the Director/Professor of Religious Studies at St Cloud State University. A Reform Rabbi since 1973 serving congregations in the Chicago and Minneapolis until 2001 he has been a leader in Jewish-Christian dialogue his entire career. He was the first rabbi to complete a doctorate in Christianity at the University of Chicago.

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