Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism

Initiatives

Founded in 2019, the Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism holds as its central initiative the advocacy for and defense of interfaith Jewish families. It pursues this objective primarily through its monthly newsletter, through which founder Edmund Case shares updates regarding the movement to expand inclusivity for interfaith families in Jewish communities. ² For instance, the June 2024 newsletter detailed the decision by Hebrew Union College to revoke its policy that barred Jewish students in interfaith relationships from admission. ³ The May 2024 newsletter described the impact of the 2023 to 2024 Israel-Hamas conflict on Jewish identity in the United States, citing an increase in Jewish identity following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack. ⁴

In addition to the newsletter, the Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism advances two campaigns. The “Seminary Admissions of Rabbinic Students in Interfaith Relationships” campaign works to change admissions policies that prohibit members of interfaith couples from attending Jewish seminaries. ⁵ Second, the Center drafted a resolution for the Reform Jewish community to adopt a full interfaith inclusion commitment to encourage greater integration of interfaith Jewish couples into the Reform community. ⁶

The Center also conducts surveys within various Jewish communities to understand the different environments of interfaith families. ⁷ A 2021 survey found that across approximately 50 Reconstructionist synagogues, 74 percent said they draw some distinctions between the Jewish and non-Jewish members of an interfaith family regarding synagogue leadership and ritual participation. ⁸

The Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism hosts in-person and virtual events in partnership with other Jewish organizations, including the Hebrew College Rabbinical School and 18Doors. ⁹

Leadership

Edmund Case is the founder and president of the Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. He is the author of Radical Inclusion: Engaging Interfaith Families for a Thriving Jewish Future and co-editor of The Guide to Jewish Interfaith Family Life: An InterfaithFamily.com Handbook. ¹⁰ Case is also the founder and former chief executive officer of 18Doors, formerly InterfaithFamily, a left-leaning Jewish organization that provides resources and advice to interfaith Jewish couples. ¹¹ He holds a B.A. in political philosophy from Yale, a J.D. from Harvard Law School, and two master’s degrees from Brandeis University. ¹²

Case publishes frequently in various Jewish journals advancing the position of the Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. In a 2019 article, Case argued that “Judaism is not just for Jews; it is for people who are ‘doing’ Jewish, whether or not they identify as Jews, in a community that consists of other Jewishly-engaged people.” Although this contradicts the traditional understanding of Jewish identity, Case argues that it is the only way to “secure the liberal future.” ¹³

Finances

Financial records for the Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism are limited because it files the federal “e-Postcard” form for organizations reporting annual revenue less than $50,000. ¹⁴

In both 2021 and 2022, the Center received $10,000 from the Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston, ^{15 16} a pro-Israel 501(c)(3) that manages a large amount of wealth in support of Jewish causes, including interfaith families. ¹⁷