When word got out in January about non-Jewish actress Cameron Diaz and non-Jewish musician Benji Madden’s Jewish-inspired wedding, some of us found it cause for celebration; others saw it as an insult. The pair wed under a chuppah, had an officiant recite the seven blessings, smashed the glass and took a yichud. US Weekly reports that guests even yelled out “Mazel tov” at the end.
Those who welcomed the news pronounced it as yet another sign that Judaism has officially become aspirational, proof that we can let others in without diminishing ourselves. But there were also those who, of course, saw it as a real trivialization of our tradition and rituals. When, a few weeks later, a magazine profile of Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady mentioned that he has a menorah in his living room, all the applause and outrage had muted into a befuddled shrug.
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