People with a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother will no longer have to undergo a full conversion process, the UK Assembly of Reform Rabbis has decided today.
At the Assembly’s monthly meeting this afternoon, senior rabbinical figures voted in support of a motion which stated that a person’s Jewish identity would no longer be solely dependent on whether the mother was Jewish.
Instead, a man or woman with a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother could approach their local rabbi – instead of the Beth Din – to discuss “what process, if any, will be undergone before status can be attributed”.
The JC understands that the rabbi or cantor would then make an assessment of the person’s “Jewish life” before making a recommendation to the Beth Din, taking into account the person’s engagement with and understanding of areas including Jewish festivals and Israel.
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A form, signed by the rabbi and applicant, would be returned to the Beth Din for formal endorsement and the issuing of a Certificate of Status.
The person would not then need to undergo a full Reform conversion process in order to be considered “Jewish” by the movement.
The new process, which has been in discussion for the past two years, has been described as “certification”.
In what is likely to be seen as a streamlining of the conversion process, the decision came following requests from the Reform community’s youth movement and synagogue members.
A person considered Jewish under these new rules would not have to undergo a circumcision or go into the mikveh.
Once the certificate is issued, the person could get married in a Reform shul, and their children would be considered halachically Jewish.
Rabbi Paul Freedman, Assembly chairman, said: “We are proud to offer these new ways of welcoming people to our communities, just as we were proud to lead on equal marriage and on calling women to the bimah.
“The Assembly has stayed true to our core values, treasuring both Jewish tradition and Judaism’s ability to evolve in response to the contemporary world as being inclusive and egalitarian.”
Chairman of Reform Judaism Robert Weiner added: “I welcome the result of our rabbis’ deliberations and look forward to discussing how we can implement them in our communities.”
Listen to our analysis of the decision
