Religiosity and Religious Education

I also discussed child-education with the religios/non-religious couple: They plan on sending their child to a religious/traditional school until highschool, so the child has a background knowledge of Jewish religious culture. Then for highschool, the child can decide. I think this is brilliant: When you are little, it is comforting to beleive in God and to have this religious environment, with the songs and community it entails. Also, being in a religious school in youth gives you a life-long connection the religion, whether or not you continue your religious education or are observant in adulthood - and I do think that a life connected to one's tradition, even if one chooses not to observe that tradition, is important. I think a Christian should be connected to her Christian tradition, a Muslim to her Muslim tradition, etc.. I am Jewish, so I want to be connected to the Jewish tradition.

In my case, in addition to being a traditonal Jew, I am also a religious Jew, however, while the behavior involved in the two overlaps and each enhances the other, there are certain things I do solely because of tradition, certain things I do solely because of religion, and certain things I do because of both traditional and religious reasons, even if the reasons themselves are unrelated.

Thus, I as a woman, choose to eat in a sukkah despite not being halachikly obligated, because it is my religious tradition. I pray solely because I am halachikly obligated to, even if I don't always have kavanah (focus). I observe Pesach seder both because I am halachikly obligated and because it is my religious tradition, but each reason alone would be sufficient.

Anyhow, I thought it was great this couple worked out an innovative solution to challenges such as Niddah and education. I think religious-non-religious marriages are good for Jewish unity, provided each partner's lifestyle is respected within the relationship. That being said, I am not about to marry a non-religious Jew solely in order to make a point - at the same time, I don't see a person's lack of religiosity as a barrier to a relationship.