We at JOI draw special inspiration from the poignant words of Ruth as she pleads with her mother-in-law, Naomi, to take her back to her ancestral homeland, Israel. Ruth, born a Moabitess, says: "Your people will be my people, your God will be my God, where you reside there shall I reside, and where you will die there shall I be laid to rest as well." There is surely not a more complete statement of unity between two people in any other language or tradition. Ruth's simple words of affection and loyalty symbolize all that we strive for here at JOI: to enable interfaith families to find their place in the Jewish community through the love of family.

The image of Ruth as a harvester of wheat and barley captures as well the central message of inclusion: that to "welcome the stranger" is not merely a matter of politeness and good etiquette. It is also a matter of enabling them to share fully in all the bounties of life together as one people. Ruth's participation in the ancient rites of the harvest, together with all the other maidens working the fields of Boaz, reminds us that to be welcomed fully means not only to be embraced into the bosom of the family but also to be accepted among one's neighbors, friends and co-workers amidst the routine tasks of everyday life.

Only a Torah, a tradition, and a people that create such a welcoming family and community can beworthy of the deep faith of a heroine such as Ruth.