Interfaith_NN1 Marriages_NN2 Stir_VV0 Mixed_JJ Feelings_NN2 When_RRQ Steven_NP1 Cohn_NP1 ,_, a_AT1 Chicago-area_JJ lawyer_NN1 ,_, looked_VVN at_II photographs_NN2 of_IO Marc_NP1 Mezvinsky_NP1 ,_, outfitted_VVD with_IW a_AT1 yarmulke_NN1 and_CC a_AT1 prayer_NN1 shawl_NN1 ,_, and_CC Chelsea_NP1 Clinton_NP1 ,_, luminous_JJ in_II a_AT1 strapless_JJ gown_NN1 and_CC a_AT1 100-watt_NNU1 smile_NN1 ,_, he_PPHS1 recalled_VVD his_APPGE own_DA interfaith_NN1 marriage_NN1 30_MC years_NNT2 ago_RA to_II Loreli_NP1 Fritz-Cohn_NP1 ,_, a_AT1 Methodist_NN1 ,_, on_II her_APPGE grandmother_NN1 's_GE farm_NN1 in_II Ohio_NP1 ._. 
He_PPHS1 ,_, too_RR ,_, wore_VVD a_AT1 prayer_NN1 shawl_NN1 --_NN1 though_CS he_PPHS1 recalled_VVD how_RGQ hard_RR it_PPH1 had_VHD been_VBN to_TO find_VVI a_AT1 Reform_NN1 rabbi_NN1 to_TO perform_VVI the_AT ceremony_NN1 ._. 
From_II the_AT evidence_NN1 of_IO his_APPGE own_DA gratifying_JJ marriage_NN1 ,_, he_PPHS1 considered_VVD the_AT Clinton-Mezvinsky_JJ union_NN1 a_AT1 decisive_JJ plus_NN1 for_IF the_AT vitality_NN1 of_IO his_APPGE faith_NN1 ._. 
"_" Loreli_NP1 has_VHZ joined_VVN the_AT Jewish_JJ community_NN1 ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 said_VVD ._. 
"_" She_PPHS1 goes_VVZ to_II synagogue_NN1 with_IW me_PPIO1 ._. "_" 
And_CC ,_, he_PPHS1 said_VVD ,_, "_" Our_APPGE children_NN2 have_VH0 stayed_VVN involved_JJ with_IW the_AT Jewish_JJ community_NN1 ._. "_" 
"_" They_PPHS2 should_VM n't_XX look_VVI at_II it_PPH1 as_II a_AT1 loss_NN1 ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 added_VVD ,_, referring_VVG to_II statements_NN2 made_VVN in_II the_AT past_JJ week_NNT1 by_II Jewish_JJ organizations_NN2 and_CC their_APPGE leaders_NN2 ._. 
"_" Although_CS there_EX is_VBZ that_DD1 risk_NN1 ,_, there_EX 's_VBZ also_RR the_AT possibility_NN1 of_IO gain_NN1 ,_, which_DDQ it_PPH1 has_VHZ been_VBN for_IF us_PPIO2 ._. "_" 
Nonetheless_RR ,_, the_AT seemingly_RR incandescent_JJ wedding_NN1 of_IO Ms._NNB Clinton_NP1 and_CC Mr._NNB Mezvinsky_NP1 has_VHZ churned_VVN up_RP ambivalent_JJ reactions_NN2 among_II the_AT nation_NN1 's_VBZ almost_RR six_MC million_NNO Jews_NN2 ._. 
There_EX is_VBZ a_AT1 clannish_JJ pride_NN1 that_CST after_CS a_AT1 history_NN1 of_IO exclusion_NN1 and_CC prejudice_NN1 ,_, the_AT grandson_NN1 of_IO a_AT1 Jewish_JJ Iowa_NP1 grocer_NN1 could_VM marry_VVI into_II what_DDQ passes_VVZ for_IF political_JJ royalty_NN1 in_II the_AT United_NP1 States_NP1 ._. 
But_CCB some_DD Jews_NN2 fear_VV0 that_CST the_AT societal_JJ openness_NN1 confirmed_VVN by_II high-profile_JJ intermarriages_NN2 like_II that_DD1 of_IO Ms._NNB Clinton_NP1 and_CC Mr._NNB Mezvinsky_NP1 ,_, or_CC Caroline_NP1 Kennedy_NP1 and_CC Edwin_NP1 A._NP1 Schlossberg_NP1 in_II 1986_MC ,_, prod_VV0 more_DAR Jews_NN2 to_TO marry_VVI out_II21 of_II22 their_APPGE faith_NN1 ._. 
That_DD1 ,_, they_PPHS2 worry_VV0 ,_, could_VM threaten_VVI the_AT vitality_NN1 of_IO a_AT1 group_NN1 that_CST represents_VVZ no_AT more_DAR than_CSN 2_MC percent_NNU of_IO the_AT American_JJ population_NN1 ._. 
In_II an_AT1 editorial_NN1 ,_, The_AT Forward_NN1 ,_, a_AT1 liberal_JJ Jewish_JJ affairs_NN2 newspaper_NN1 ,_, called_VVN the_AT Clinton-Mezvinsky_JJ marriage_NN1 "_" a_AT1 milestone_NN1 of_IO sorts_NN2 ,_, a_AT1 measure_NN1 of_IO social_JJ acceptance_NN1 ,_, a_AT1 sign_NN1 that_CST we_PPIS2 've_VH0 arrived_VVN ._. "_" 
But_CCB it_PPH1 took_VVD note_NN1 of_IO the_AT conundrum_NN1 :_: "_" This_DD1 nuptial_JJ is_VBZ also_RR representative_JJ of_IO an_AT1 increasingly_RR vexing_VVG challenge_NN1 within_II American_JJ Jewish_JJ life_NN1 because_CS we_PPIS2 know_VV0 that_DD1 --_NN1 apart_II21 from_II22 the_AT celebrity_NN1 and_CC the_AT Secret_JJ Service_NN1 --_NN1 the_AT Clinton-Mezvinsky_JJ union_NN1 is_VBZ fast_RR becoming_VVG the_AT new_JJ normal_JJ ._. "_" 
Commentators_NN2 like_II The_AT Forward_NN1 are_VBR reacting_VVG to_II surveys_NN2 that_CST show_VV0 that_CST the_AT intermarriage_NN1 rate_NN1 has_VHZ spiraled_VVN up_RP in_II the_AT past_JJ half-century_NNT1 ,_, particularly_RR outside_II the_AT New_NP1 York_NP1 area_NN1 ._. 
The_AT last_MD major_JJ population_NN1 study_NN1 of_IO the_AT nation_NN1 's_GE Jews_NN2 ,_, in_II 2001_MC ,_, found_VVD that_CST since_II 1996_MC ,_, 47_MC percent_NNU of_IO marriages_NN2 involving_VVG a_AT1 Jew_NN1 were_VBDR interfaith_NN1 ._. 
Before_II 1970_MC ,_, the_AT rate_NN1 was_VBDZ 13_MC percent_NNU ._. 
"_" Everything_PN1 we_PPIS2 know_VV0 about_II the_AT commitment_NN1 and_CC work_VV0 it_PPH1 takes_VVZ to_TO pass_VVI Jewish_JJ tradition_NN1 on_II21 to_II22 the_AT next_MD generation_NN1 shows_VVZ that_CST the_AT context_NN1 within_II which_DDQ that_DD1 is_VBZ most_RGT likely_JJ to_TO occur_VVI is_VBZ in_II a_AT1 household_NN1 where_RRQ both_DB2 parents_NN2 are_VBR committed_VVN to_II Jewish_JJ tradition_NN1 ,_, "_" said_VVD Steven_NP1 C._NP1 Wernick_NP1 ,_, executive_NN1 vice_II president_NN1 of_IO the_AT United_JJ Synagogue_NN1 of_IO Conservative_JJ Judaism_NN1 ,_, the_AT congregational_JJ arm_NN1 ._. 
From_II her_APPGE own_DA experience_NN1 ,_, Ms._NNB Fritz-Cohn_NP1 disagreed_VVD ._. 
"_" The_AT presumption_NN1 that_CST the_AT non-Jewish_JJ person_NN1 is_VBZ going_VVGK to_TO cause_VVI the_AT Jewish_JJ person_NN1 to_TO stop_VVI being_VBG Jewish_JJ --_NN1 that_CST 's_VBZ a_AT1 mistake_NN1 ._. "_" 
And_CC even_RR Rabbi_NNB Wernick_NP1 ,_, despite_II his_APPGE pessimism_NN1 ,_, was_VBDZ struck_VVN by_II the_AT "_" powerful_JJ visual_JJ representations_NN2 "_" Mr._NNB Mezvinsky_NP1 and_CC Ms._NNB Clinton_NP1 included_VVD in_II their_APPGE ceremony_NN1 --_NN1 a_AT1 blue-and-white_JJ handwritten_JJ ketubah_NN1 ,_, or_CC Jewish_JJ marriage_NN1 contract_NN1 ;_; a_AT1 vine_NN1 and_CC floral_JJ chuppah_NN1 ,_, the_AT canopy_NN1 under_II which_DDQ the_AT wedding_NN1 is_VBZ conducted_VVN ;_; and_CC the_AT prayer_NN1 shawl_NN1 ,_, which_DDQ even_RR many_DA2 Jewish_JJ grooms_NN2 marrying_VVG Jewish_JJ brides_NN2 do_VD0 not_XX wear_VVI ._. 
The_AT membership_NN1 of_IO the_AT United_JJ Methodist_JJ Church_NN1 ,_, to_II which_DDQ Ms._NNB Clinton_NP1 belongs_VVZ ,_, is_VBZ shrinking_JJ ,_, as_CSA is_VBZ that_DD1 of_IO other_JJ mainline_NN1 Protestant_NN1 faiths_NN2 ._. 
But_CCB the_AT church_NN1 is_VBZ not_XX as_RG concerned_JJ about_II intermarriage_NN1 ._. 
The_AT Rev._NNB Taylor_NP1 Burton-Edwards_NP1 ,_, director_NN1 of_IO worship_NN1 resources_NN2 for_IF the_AT church_NN1 's_GE General_JJ Board_NN1 of_IO Discipleship_NP1 ,_, said_VVD that_CST "_" Christians_NN2 are_VBR not_XX made_VVN genetically_RR "_" but_CCB through_II evangelization_NN1 ._. 
Mr._NNB Burton-Edwards_NP1 also_RR said_VVD that_CST in_II an_AT1 increasingly_RR pluralistic_JJ America_NP1 ,_, "_" the_AT notion_NN1 that_CST one_PN1 has_VHZ to_TO stay_VVI in_II one_PN1 's_GE group_NN1 is_VBZ less_RRR supported_VVN by_II the_AT culture_NN1 at_RR21 large_RR22 ._. "_" 
The_AT Rev._NNB William_NP1 S._NP1 Shillady_NP1 ,_, the_AT director_NN1 of_IO the_AT United_JJ Methodist_JJ City_NN1 Society_NN1 --_NN1 who_PNQS officiated_VVD at_II the_AT Clinton-Mezvinsky_JJ wedding_NN1 along_II21 with_II22 Rabbi_NNB James_NP1 Ponet_NP1 ,_, a_AT1 Yale_NP1 chaplain_NN1 --_NN1 said_VVD he_PPHS1 did_VDD not_XX want_VVI to_TO comment_VVI on_II the_AT recent_JJ nuptials_NN2 because_CS "_" my_APPGE relationship_NN1 with_IW the_AT couple_NN1 is_VBZ confidential_JJ ._. "_" 
Mr._NNB Shillady_NP1 was_VBDZ previously_RR the_AT pastor_NN1 at_II Park_NP1 Avenue_NNL1 United_VVD Methodist_JJ Church_NN1 in_II Manhattan_NP1 ,_, where_RRQ Ms._NNB Clinton_NP1 was_VBDZ a_AT1 regular_JJ worshiper_NN1 ._. 
Gary_NP1 Rosenblatt_NP1 ,_, editor_NN1 of_IO The_AT Jewish_JJ Week_NNT1 in_II New_NP1 York_NP1 ,_, called_VVN the_AT wedding_NN1 "_" a_AT1 Rorschach_NN1 test_VV0 "_" that_CST reveals_VVZ "_" how_RRQ you_PPY feel_VV0 about_II intermarriage_NN1 and_CC assimilation_NN1 ._. "_" 
Among_II many_DA2 Jews_NN2 who_PNQS might_VM "_" frown_VV0 on_II this_DD1 wedding_NN1 ,_, "_" he_PPHS1 said_VVD ,_, "_" there_EX 's_VBZ a_AT1 secret_JJ pride_NN1 --_NN1 look_NN1 ,_, one_MC1 of_IO our_APPGE guys_NN2 ._. "_" 
