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My wife, three toddlers, and I are planning to move to NJ from the UWS of Manhattan. We are in the midst of searching for a home in NJ and have found the feedback and comments from this forum extremely helpful.
We are looking for a home in a town that offers great public schools, a walkable downtown, a less than one hour commute to NYC, and some measure of diversity that supports out inter-faith (Jewish and Catholic) family. We just visited Ridgewood and really liked the town, though it was difficult to asess how suppportive the community would be to our inter-faith family. Would anyone be able to help us know more about this aspect of Ridgwood?
Also, we have thought to explore the towm of Summit since it sounds like it meets some of our criteria. Would anone help us know about this too? Are there other towns we should consider?
My wife, three toddlers, and I are planning to move to NJ from the UWS of Manhattan. We are in the midst of searching for a home in NJ and have found the feedback and comments from this forum extremely helpful.
We are looking for a home in a town that offers great public schools, a walkable downtown, a less than one hour commute to NYC, and some measure of diversity that supports out inter-faith (Jewish and Catholic) family. We just visited Ridgewood and really liked the town, though it was difficult to asess how supportive the community would be to our inter-faith family. Would anyone be able to help us know more about this aspect of Ridgwood?
Also, we have thought to explore the towm of Summit since it sounds like it meets some of our criteria. Would anone help us know about this too? Are there other towns we should consider?
Thank you!
I think your Jewish-Catholic interfaith family would be met with a big yawn in Ridgewood. I'd be willing to bet that you're hardly the only family like that in town. Ridgewood has Jews (there's a Conservative temple with a JCC, as I'm sure you are already aware) and Catholics, and other types of Christians, Muslims, and Hindus...there are going to be interfaith relationships. In the type of modern, well-educated, affluent population that lives in Ridgewood, I doubt anyone's going to give you as much as a second thought. Curious as to why you would even worry about such a thing--was this an issue for you on the UWS? It's kind of hard to imagine that.
However, if you still have doubts, look at Fair Lawn. The town has a large Jewish population, but I was previously married to one of the Irish Catholic guys. We went to a lot of Fair Lawn interfaith weddings back in the 80s, with the same priest-and-rabbi tag team officiating. They had quite the racket going!
Edit: I know that I've read articles in The Record (Bergen County newspaper) over the years on interfaith marriages/raising children in the area to demonstrate to you that your family is not unusual, and I couldn't find one specifically on Ridgewood, but I did find this article on Ridgewood, which you might find interesting to read.
My wife, three toddlers, and I are planning to move to NJ from the UWS of Manhattan. We are in the midst of searching for a home in NJ and have found the feedback and comments from this forum extremely helpful.
We are looking for a home in a town that offers great public schools, a walkable downtown, a less than one hour commute to NYC, and some measure of diversity that supports out inter-faith (Jewish and Catholic) family. We just visited Ridgewood and really liked the town, though it was difficult to asess how suppportive the community would be to our inter-faith family. Would anyone be able to help us know more about this aspect of Ridgwood?
Also, we have thought to explore the towm of Summit since it sounds like it meets some of our criteria. Would anone help us know about this too? Are there other towns we should consider?
Thank you!
I agree with MQ. I seriously doubt it will be an issue in Ridgewood. As long as you have money and/or professional esteem you'll be welcomed with open arms in most circles. Could you run into a group of conservative Jewish or Waspy moms who might give you the cold shoulder on the playground, sure but it would be both highly unlikely and the exception not the rule.
Last edited by Goldendoodle1969; 06-27-2012 at 08:37 AM..
I'm in an interfaith marriage and its never even occurred to me that anyone would care! Don't think anyone ever has, weird thing to ask about unless you're living in an orthodox community. Anyway for the main question, budget would help, but on the surface Summit is a good fit if you can afford it. Millburn might fit even better, as its slightly closer to NYC.
I'm going to give a straight out plug here for Montclair. Lots of former UWSiders (ourselves included). Message me if you want the grand tour. I don't think anyone will bat an eye in NNJ on the Jewish / Catholic thing. Most area towns have their share of mixed race and same sex couples.
A funny aside- My wife was catholic and I Protestant when we married and an old timer said that he too was in a "mixed marriage" that worked out fine. I just chuckled and thanked him for the encouragement.
Montclair schools aren't typically regarded in the same light as either Ridgewood or Summit.
I grew up in Ridgewood, and from a kids persective I didn't have a clue what religion other kids (or their parents) were, unless of course I saw them in church.
I live in Westfield now, a town which is similar to Ridgewood in many ways. There are quite a few inter-faith families in our neighborhood. It's really not a big deal, no one gives in any thought at all.
To the OP, I would throw in Glen Rock (town between Ridgewood and Fair Lawn) in your search as there is a high amount of religious diversity to say the least.
Thank you all for your replies. The question surface for us after hearing that there is not a large Jewish population in Ridgewood. We are not religious, rather just used to a lifestyle on the uws that is appreciative of religious diversity and hoping to find such in our prospective NJ town.
We had thought to also look at the towns of Westfiled, Cranford, and Summit, as they also have walkable downtowns, good schools, and decent commutes to NYC. Would anyone have any thoughts on how these towns compare with regard to religious diversity?
Thanks again.
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