The Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism is a left-leaning Jewish organization that supports interfaith Jewish families and a more inclusive understanding of Jewish identity. The Center was established after the publication of the book Radical Inclusion: Engaging Interfaith Families for a Thriving Jewish Future, written by the Center’s founder, Edmund Case. The Center also partners with left-of-center organizations that work for greater inclusion of LGBT Jews, non-white Jews, and Jews with disabilities. 1
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
References
- About. Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.cfrij.com/about/
- Blog. Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.cfrij.com/blog/
- Case, Edmund. “June 2024 News from the Center.” Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. June 29, 2024. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.cfrij.com/june-2024-news-from-the-center/
- Case, Edmund. “May 2024 News from the Center.” Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. May 28, 2024. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.cfrij.com/may-2024-news-from-the-center/
- Seminary Admissions of Rabbinic Students in Interfaith Relationships. Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.cfrij.com/resources/seminary-admissions-of-rabbinic-students-in-interfaith-relationships/
- “Proposed Resolution: On Full Inclusion of Interfaith Families and Partners from Different Faith Backgrounds.” Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. October 17, 2019. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.cfrij.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/Proposed- Resolution-10-17.pdf
- Surveys. Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.cfrij.com/surveys/
- “Survey on Reconstructionist Congregations’ Interfaith Inclusion Policies and Practices.” Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. October 2021. AccessedJuly 8, 2024. https://www.cfrij.com/wp-content /uploads/2021/10/Reconstructionist-Congregations-Survey-Report.pdf
- Events. Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.cfrij.com/events/
- Edmund Case. 18Doors. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://18doors.org/author/edmund-case/
- Home. 18Doors. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://18doors.org/
- Education | Edmund Case. LinkedIn. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/edmund-case-9b4924/details/education/
- Case, Edmund. “Judaism Is Not Just For Jews: The Lesson Of Interfaith Families.” Forward. December 5, 2019. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://forward.com/opinion/435404/judaism-is-not-just-for-jews-the-lesson-of-interfaith-families/
- Center for Radically Inclusive Judaism. ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/831395124
- Combined Jewish Philanthropies Of Greater Boston Inc – 2021 990. ProPublica. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/ 42103559/202321319349304847/full
- Combined Jewish Philanthropies Of Greater Boston Inc – 2022 990. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://cdn.fedweb.org/fed-34/2/Form%2520990-2022.pdf
- Home. Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. Accessed July 8, 2024. https://ma.cjp.org/