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Do Jews mix socially with other religions?
By and large, the answer is yes. It may be that very traditional Jews — i.e., the so-called “ultra-Orthodox” — “mix” very little with non-Jews. They may live in predominantly Jewish neighborhoods, close to their synagogue, and spend most if not all of their social time with fellow Jews. Kashrut, the Jewish system of laws related to food and eating, theoretically makes it difficult for Jews and non-Jews to eat together, as the latter won’t know how to prepare food and maintain a kitchen in the kosher way. Since shared meals are such a big part of Jewish life, kashrut may be seen as one way that Jewish tradition attempts to keep Jews from “mixing” too much with non-Jews, lest these interactions lead to assimilation or even — gasp! — intermarriage.
Short answer, though: yes. The vast majority of Jews I know have plenty of non-Jewish friends, just as I do. Incidentally, SpokaneFāVS has helped me to further diversify my friend group from a faith standpoint, and I’m very appreciative of that.
