Posted by Mair on August 28, 2001, at 21:00:20
In reply to Re: WHAT ABOUT??? » mair, posted by Simcha on August 28, 2001, at 12:52:30
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> "She will NOT marry a non-Jewish man to a Jewish woman. She will NOT marry a non-Jewish woman to a Jewish woman." > Incidentally, it does not require a Rabbi to officiate at a Jewish wedding. All it takes is for a couple, any couple, to say the vows in Hebrew and to sign a "Ketubah" (marriage contract) in front of witnesses. I find that even many Jews do not know about this."Simcha - please excuse my ignorance and indulge my curiosity. I was always told that the children of Jewish women were considered to be Jews regardless of the faith of the father. (one friend used to joke that this is because you could never be certain about the identity of the father). If this is the case and a goal is the propagation of Jews, why wouldn't rabbis feel differently about mixed marriages involving Jewish women? Also, if a ceremony is not conducted by a rabbi, who signs the marriage certificate?
With regard to your point about ceremonies for mixed marriages, why wouldn't Christian ministers have the same scruples about wanting only to participate in weddings where the goal is a Christian family and Christian children? Do you suppose it's easier for them since Christians acknowledge both the old and new testaments? My wedding celebrant was a minister who had studied Hebrew in divinity school. The ceremony, written by him, was a hybrid which incorporated portions of the Jewish wedding ceremony, spoken in Hebrew. There were readings from both the Old and New Testament. I think because of the reluctance of rabbis to participate in weddings involving mixed marriages, mine was not the only wedding in which he used this particular ceremony. I'm sure to a devout Jew, this is pretty odious. I'm sure my father-in-law, a one-time rabbinical student, harbored some very mixed feelings. But I'm not sure I fully appreciate, given the prevalence of mixed marriages, why it should be such a bigger deal for a rabbi.
Mair
poster:Mair
thread:10346
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010825/msgs/10412.html