Lauren George’s insights on dating someone Jewish.

I met Lauren Sibel when I moved back to Baltimore in 2018 and started working at the University of Maryland Medical Center. I had previously trained there and already knew everyone in the office except this new girl Lauren. Our bond was initially formed while arguing over which one of us was the “OG” (original employee) and could be referred to by our coworkers as Lauren #1 (You never want to be #2 in a GI office!).

Over the next year our friendship continued to grow and turned into a relationship. We have been happily together for over three years.

Prior to meeting Lauren S., I did not have much knowledge of Judaism. I have learned so much about her faith and culture by being completely immersed in her life. Being in an interfaith relationship has been a delightful challenge.

For both of us, learning to describe your own personal faith to another person and allowing them to understand why that faith is meaningful to you is a huge opportunity for personal growth. I had to examine what was most important to me in my Christian identity, and effectively communicate that to Lauren S.

Our interfaith experience has brought us closer as a couple. I have cherished the ability to experience Judaism through her eyes; from celebrating holidays with family to learning the occasional Hebrew word and perfecting my brisket and challah recipes. We have learned the value of communication, compromise and valuing our partner’s needs as much as our own. 

Lauren Sibel’s insights on dating someone Christian.

Lauren George and I met at work in 2018. Lauren G. had previously done her residency at the University of Maryland and was returning after three years of training in Chicago. At first, I was solely determined on figuring out who this “Other Lauren” was.

Right off the bat I quickly learned that we shared the same sarcastic sense of humor and clearly had a lot in common. A few months into my “investigation” I walked into her office and confidently declared that we were going to be best friends! A year later, we started dating and have now been together over three years. 

Being in an interfaith relationship has been a positive experience for both of us. I have been able to learn about another religion, culture and overall human experience. I have also been pushed to re-visit and better understand aspects of my own Judaism, so that I can best explain things to her. It has allowed me the opportunity to re-examine what is most important and meaningful to me.

At the end of the day, it is very clear that the heart of religion for both of us is family. Once this shared value was established it became the starting point for any decisions that needed to be made.

As Lauren G.’s family does not live locally, how we approach these decisions often looks different. Overall, we have learned that the most important thing is to be honest about what is most important to us and to work together to find the best solutions.

Lauren G. also likes to cook, so an extra bonus for me has been learning about and eating some traditional foods associated with the Jewish high holidays that I was not aware of!