The Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism strives to be the central address for professional and lay Jewish communal leaders who seek to advocate for radically inclusive Judaism with respect to interfaith families. Spurred by publication and distribution of Radical Inclusion: Engaging Interfaith Families for a Thriving Jewish Future, a book by Edmund Case published by the Center in January 2019, the Center currently engages in advocacy writing and speaking at Jewish organizations and conferences in favor of radically inclusive attitudes and practices and programs designed to engage interfaith families Jewishly.
The Center’s philosophy is set forth in A New Theory of Interfaith Marriage, originally published in the journal Evolve. Another statement is a draft of Principles of Radically Inclusive Judaism.
The Center’s possible future advocacy efforts include:
- ongoing writing (on the Center’s website and placements in other publications) and speaking at Jewish organizations (seminaries, rabbinic associations, synagogues, federations, JCCs, Hillels and others) and conferences
- participating in leadership development and trainings provided by other organizations
- consulting to organizations
- developing and curating resources to help individuals and organizations become radically inclusive, potentially leading to a Handbook for Radically Inclusive Judaism.
The Center seeks to partner with other organizations, with groups of Reform, Reconstructionist, Renewal, Humanistic and Conservative rabbis, and when appropriate with organizations working for inclusivity with respect to LGBTQ Jews, Jews of color, and Jews with disabilities.
Mission/Vision
The Center’s mission is to advocate for radically inclusive attitudes and policies toward interfaith families – and for programmatic efforts designed to engage interfaith families in Jewish life and community. The Center’s vision is that interfaith couples and their children engage in a Judaism of meaning that is radically inclusive of them.
Leadership
The Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism was incorporated in July 2018 by Edmund Case, who retired from InterfaithFamily (IFF) (now 18Doors) in 2016 after founding it as an independent non-profit in 2001. During that time IFF, now the premier resource supporting interfaith couples exploring Jewish life and inclusive Jewish communities, grew to a budget of over $3 million and a staff of over twenty-five including rabbis posted in seven cities across the US. After leaving IFF, Case consulted to IFF, continued to write about interfaith engagement issues at www.edmundcase.com, and wrote a book, Radical Inclusion: Engaging Interfaith Families in a Thriving Jewish Future, published by the Center in January 2019.
Board
The founding members of the Board of Directors of the Center, in addition to Case, are Gary Furst, a businessman and private equity investor, and Rabbi Mayer Selekman, a pioneer in efforts to engage interfaith families.