When we speak about assimilation and intermarriage, we are touching on a very sensitive and, for many, painful issue. Statistics show that more than half of Jews who marry today choose partners outside the Jewish framework. This trend is not accidental, and it is not new. It is the natural result of a deeper process taking place within Jewish society and within humanity as a whole.

At first glance, this phenomenon might seem surprising. We could assume that a person would naturally prefer to marry someone from the same culture, with similar values, upbringing, and traditions. Yet reality shows otherwise. Many Jewish children today grow up immersed in the general culture. They attend the same schools as everyone else, share the same environment, lifestyle, and aspirations. From their perspective, there is little difference between themselves and others. On the contrary, if they do feel some kind of distinct relation to being Jewish, it can sometimes push them away, making them want to dissolve that difference rather than preserve it.

This means that by the time a young person reaches the age of marriage, the internal connection to their Jewishness is already very weak. The environment surrounding them does not provide enough warmth, meaning, or value to sustain a desire to remain within it. Occasional exposure, such as attending Hebrew school once a week, celebrating holidays, or participating in community events, is simply not enough to build a........

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