To help preserve the Jewish heritage, many Jewish organizations have set up programs to maintain ties with those who have married out and to increase the chances of the children being raised Jewish (Rosen, Weltman, 614-615).In the case of intermarriage, in traditional Jewish law a child born to a Jewish mother is considered a Jew. On the other hand, a child with a Jewish father is not considered Jewish. Only reformed Judaism stresses the importance of being raised Jewish and proclaims the child a Jew regardless of if they were born to a Jewish mother or Jewish father. All other branches of Judaism ignore the fathers religion and the upbringing of the child as long as the mother is Jewish (http://www.us-israel.org). Men in Jewish FamiliesIn American Jewish families, the family status often counted on the fathers achievements. It is also said that the mother exercised most authority in the family and this very often shamed the father. Often times the father/husband had a job outside the home and this led to him being disconnected from the family and the family power. The mother/wife was powerful and demanding. Men had to deal with low self-esteems and faced the fact that many times their wives had more control in situations. The role of the father in the family was for financial support more so than emotional support. Jewish women and children often missed the personal qualities that the males in their families were lacking. In the uproar of feminism, Jewish men have been asked to enhance these qualities and take over the feminine role and also balance professional success (Rosen, Weltman, 621).Women in Jewish FamiliesWomens role in the Jewish family was traditionally in the home where they served their family all day long. Most Jewish communities are very male oriented and the women are known to be inferior. Due to womens role at home they were often separated from religious practices. Since the feminist movement in the 197...
