Can a rabbi marry someone of another religion? Debates of the American Reform movement whether intermarried rabbis can lead Reform congregations. Issue 1 (2nd January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kaplan, Dana Evan
• Is Part Of: Journal of contemporary religion. Volume 32:Issue 1(2017)
• Page Start: 15
• Page End: 31
• Publication Date: 2017-01-02
• Subjects: Reform Judaism -- intermarriage -- American religion -- contemporary Judaism -- modern Jewish thought -- rabbinate; Religions -- Periodicals; Religions -- History -- 20th century -- Periodicals; 200
• DOI: 10.1080/13537903.2016.1256643
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1353-7903

Abstract

Abstract: Traditionally, rabbis were expected to marry women who were devoted to Judaism. The convention was a logical one. As a symbolic exemplar of Judaism, everything a rabbi does should reflect his commitment to the Jewish religion. Instead, over the course of the modern period, non-Orthodox denominations have deviated from many traditional positions. This has included the Reform movement's allowance that rabbis can determine whether they will officiate at interfaith marriage ceremonies. However, while many Reform rabbis have conducted such ceremonies, they were nevertheless expected to have married within the faith themselves. Recently, some rabbis have begun advocating for Reform rabbis to marry gentiles who have not converted to Judaism. The Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, the academic institution serving the Reform movement of North America, which has campuses in the United States and Israel, went through a process of discussion, debate, evaluation, and decision making. At the end of this process, the decision was made to retain the policy of prohibiting intermarried students from matriculating or graduating. This article outlines the development as well as the resolution of the current controversy.