An Unconventional Marriage: A Judeo-Christian "I Do"

And on the other side of the coin, do you feel pressured by your partner to conform to his/her faith?

Leanna: I don't feel pressure directly from her family, but it is clear to me that they are thrilled when we do things like have an Orthodox bris for our son, and give him a Hebrew name. We want to honor our parents, and yet pursue the journey we've been called to.

Rinat: I feel pressured by my partner to embrace it further. Not a negative pressure, but a desire to be intentional about my faith.

What other wisdom and stories would you like to share from your experience in an interfaith marriage?

Leanna:  Oy vey. I think I've probably said enough! We haven't even begun on the inter-cultural element to our relationship. I'm American and she's British. All of this is reflected in food. When we first got together, I was like... is this a Jewish thing, or a British thing?

I would have thought it would be harder to find harmony than it has been. In the real world, the most important thing is to make sure the most important things remain most important things. G-d. Humility. Sabbath. Honoring your parents. Doing our part in the world to make it a better place, etc. We are in the same lanes on all of the most important things. It would be a totally different story if I were a literalist of course. 

Rinat: We are only just beginning this journey. It was different when it was just the two of us -- it was easier.

Now that we have a child, we have to be more intentional about how faith will manifest in his upbringing. Or how it won't.

Read more interviews with interfaith couples here.

Visit the Public Square on Interfaith Marriage here.

Rinat is a manager and part owner of a photography studio in Los Angeles that caters to fashion and celebrity photography. Leanna is a photographer and filmmaker that works for clients such as Food Network and HGTV.