Who are we?

Since 1988, the Jewish Outreach Institute has been a leader in the development of Jewish community-based outreach programming. Through our national conferences, publications and informational resources, JOI has helped foster the creation of scores of Jewish outreach programs from coast to coast. Our research has garnered national attention on the opportunities for including the intermarried in the Jewish community.

JOI's operations are overseen by the members of our board, without whose efforts JOI could not continue. If you’d like to learn about these supporters, visit the JOI Board page.

JOI has been a welcoming presence on the Internet since 1995. The site began on a small scale with several booklets, a bibliography, and excerpts from our newsletters. It has since taken advantage of the potential of the Web to reach thousands of people in unique ways. Our holiday sites have utilized sound, animation, and interactivity. JOI has used both bulletin boards and chat rooms to foster dialogue and support. And much is in the planning. If you have any comments about the site, please feel free to contact JOI at info@joi.org. Technical matters should be addressed to Webmaster@joi.org.

What we do:

Public Space Judaism: Much of what is considered "Jewish outreach" takes place within the confines of institutions like synagogues or community centers for its members. The fact is, less than half of all Jews---intermarried or otherwise---are actually participating in Jewish institutions. In order to bridge the growing divide between the minority of Jews engaged with the organized community and the majority who are not, JOI advocates the creation of programs and events where the two can meet on neutral ground. Instead of asking people to cross our threshold we must go out and meet them first, to welcome them in. That's the kind of outreach JOI promotes and what we call the Public Space Judaism model.

The Mothers Circle: The Mothers Circle Program is an umbrella of free educational programs and resources for non-Jewish women raising Jewish children within the context of intermarriage or a committed relationship, created by JOI through a grant from the Marcus Foundation. The Mothers Circle began as a pilot program in Atlanta, but is now a national program in over 30 communities.




Empowering Ruth: Empowering Ruth is a free program that supports women Jews-by-choice through a virtual email community and through an education course.







The Grandparents Circle: The Grandparents Circle is an education and networking program for Jewish grandparents whose adult children have intermarried. It offers grandparents the skills and techniques to nurture, and in some cases help establish, their interfaith grandchildren's Jewish identities.






Big Tent Judaism: Big Tent Judaism is an approach to Jewish community that takes its lead from the values and vision of our Biblical forbearers Abraham and Sarah’s tent, which was open on four sides to welcome all who approach. Individuals and organizations that practice a Big Tent Judaism seek to engage, support and advocate for all those who would cast their lot with the Jewish people, regardless of prior knowledge or background.

For the Men
The "For the Men" initiative is a series of programs for men in Jewish interfaith relationships. Courses are now forming in Northern New Jersey. For more information about the "For the Men" initiative or to register for the programs, please contact Liz Marcovitz at LMarcovitz@joi.org or 212.760.1440.

The "For the Men" initiative includes:

Answering Your Jewish Children: A Program for Fathers of Other Religious Backgrounds: Taking place over the course of three sessions, Answering Your Jewish Children supplies fathers of other religious backgrounds whose spouses/partners are Jewish with practical information and guidance to help them raise Jewish children in the context of an interfaith marriage. Each session will present the key questions and answers involved for fathers who are raising Jewish children but are not Jewish themselves. Session topics will include: the "big" questions that children ask about life, death and God; holidays and rituals; and Jewish values and ethics.






How Should I Know? A Program for Jewish Men with Spouses/Partners of Other Religious Backgrounds: How Should I know serves men in committed interfaith relationships. The three-session program provides men with information and strategies for creating a Jewish home. Participants in the program will be empowered to answer their partners' questions about Judaism and clarify their positions on having a Jewish home and raising Jewish children. In addition, participants will have the opportunity to share challenges they have encountered or anticipate encountering—for example, balancing the religious concerns of both sets of grandparents, the unification of family, celebrating non-Jewish holidays in the home and finding a welcoming Jewish community.