Hepps Outrageous

This letter is in response to Jews Should Only Marry Jews.

I was literally appalled when I read the letter by Tammy A. Hepps '00 (May 2) entitled "Jews Should Only Marry Other Jews." Had the headline read "Whites Should Only Marry Other Whites," one can only imagine the outrage. I personally take issue with any of Hepps's statements, for I am a biracial woman who also happens to be Jewish. When my sisters and I were young, my mother, who is of Russian Jewish decent, and my father, who is a Seventh-Day Adventist from Jamaica, made the mutual decision to raise the three of us in the Jewish faith. I attended Hebrew school for years, and became a bat mitzvah at age 13. I continue to observe the Jewish holidays and consider Judaism to be a central aspect of my personal identity.

Perhaps my parents' mutual desire to raise me in the Jewish faith is an exception to the general trend of interfaith couples. I plan to raise my children with a strong sense of their Jewish heritage, for I know how meaningful religion has been in my life. At the same time, I hope they will develop a sense of their own unique cultural identity and will value each aspect of their diverse background. --Debra P. Hunter '00