Connection, commitment, and community: What motivates teenagers from interfaith families to continue post bar/bat mitzvah Jewish education

With the rising number of children from interfaith families in our congregational religious schools, research on the Jewish education of those who are raised in interfaith homes is sparse and fragmented. Much of the previous research involves the investigation of adults and their reflective memories of childhood experiences.; The adolescent years have historically been a period of marked decline in the participation of both formal and informal Jewish educational programs. This study provides a deeper understanding of what motivates teenagers from interfaith families to further their Jewish learning. Using narrative analysis, I examine five case studies to explore the three factors that have influenced the decision: the family context, the present and prior religious school experience, and the personal motivation to learn.; The family plays a central role in the decision to continue post-bar/bat mitzvah Jewish education. Parents who communicate a positive response to their children's active involvement in the Jewish community have a significant impact on their teenage children. It is evident that the Jewish parent is crucial in defining expectations and shaping the home environment. In all five cases, the non-Jewish parent is either very supportive of the Jewish engagement or not involved at all in the religious aspects of family life. Sibling and grandparent relationships also play an important role in the teenagers' decision.; Teenagers from interfaith families are inspired to continue their Jewish education, because they are interested in learning and growing spiritually. Their quest for knowledge, simply for its own sake---Torah L'shmah ---is an integral aspect of the decision. They are also interested in continuing because they are looking for connections to a wider community, to younger students whom they mentor, and to synagogue-based adults who respect and nurture them. This study discovers successful ways in which the Jewish community, the synagogue and particularly the religious school, can meet the needs of teenagers and support their decision to be socially and educationally involved in our congregations.; All of the students in this study point to the many ways in which their religious school education has influenced their decision to continue into eleventh and twelfth grades. My findings are supported by the research on resilient youth, which identifies the fact that having high academic expectations, providing opportunities for active participation in the learning process and developing significant relationships, can successfully motivate and engage youth in our schools. These teenagers from interfaith families express their satisfaction with the fact that they are able to build trusting friendships with teachers, rabbis, youth group advisors and other adults in the Jewish community.