What we are providing

Intermarriage and the inclusion of interfaith couples and families in Jewish life are among the most important issues that the Rabbinical Assembly (RA) and Conservative/Masorti movement are addressing.

Fifty years after the RA formally adopted standards that prohibited members from officiating at interfaith wedding ceremonies, our connections to these families and understanding of their roles in our communities have changed significantly. Many Conservative/Masorti congregations, particularly in North America, now include interfaith families who are raising Jewish children, participating meaningfully in Jewish life, and frequently playing leadership roles. This reality did not exist when the RA standards were implemented in the 1970s, at a time when intermarriage was viewed broadly as a “threat” to Jewish survival.

This report provides an overview of the working group’s approach, methodology, and findings. It includes a series of next steps and recommendations to move the Conservative/Masorti movement beyond a binary discussion about Jewish identity and marriage and towards the countless opportunities to welcome and engage interfaith families in the

The working group recommends that the standards around officiation at interfaith weddings be maintained at this time. However, the group is recommending other significant changes that will empower Conservative/Masorti rabbis and congregations to more fully embrace interfaith couples through their pastoral approach and through updated policies.

When the standard that prohibits officiating at interfaith weddings was established in the 1970s, the presumption was that rabbinic authority was, to a certain degree, about power. The rabbi had the authority to make decisions, including about people’s identities and relationships. That approach failed to dissuade Jewish community members from intermarrying — but succeeded in alienating many families who might participate meaningfully in Conservative/Masorti Jewish life.

Today, rabbinic authority is much more about trust and relationship. People don’t explore and evaluate their beliefs, practices, and behaviors with a rabbi because they are convinced the rabbi is right — but because they believe the rabbi knows and cares about them and because they respect the rabbi’s knowledge base and commitments.

In this new context, the SWG’s report explores how rabbis can replace the legacy of disapproval. It offers a series of next steps and recommendations, including:

A fast-track review by the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards (CJLS) of outdated teshuvot (rabbinic responses) that dictate disapproval of interfaith couples. These include archaic, decades-old prohibitions on congregations congratulating families on an interfaith couple’s engagement or on hiring professionals who are in interfaith marriages. CJLS has already begun reviewing ways that rabbis can offer blessings outside the context of the wedding ceremony, including aufrufs on Shabbat morning or mezuzah hanging ceremonies [Hanukkat Habayit] in a couple’s home.

Increased pastoral training related to these issues so rabbis can shift from positions of disapproval and approval to fostering meaningful dialogue as they engage with couples and families. Such conversation can help the rabbis learn more about who a couple is, what their needs are, and what roles the rabbi can play in their lives.

Creation of a “Brit” document that would articulate a positive definition of who Conservative/Masorti rabbis are, instead of relying on standards that are more focused on “what we don’t do.”

Through these efforts, we are committed to developing new pastoral and philosophical approaches. We are committed to moving away from policies built around rabbinic approval and “yes or no” approaches and towards those built around dialogue and shared responsibility with couples and families. We are committed to leaving behind conversations about demographics and synagogue market share so we can fully embrace our roles as pastors and teachers of Torah.

Listening Sessions and One-on-Ones – Findings

The sessions surfaced a number of themes expressing the scope of influence of the standards and what they have come to represent.

Rabbinic Authority

We heard from colleagues that “part of being a rabbi is being able to say no” and that the lines drawn in the standards when it comes to Jewish identity, marriage and divorce represent the limits of what is acceptable from a legal perspective but also moments when rabbinic authority comes into clear focus. Saying ‘no’ for some colleagues is what it means to lead a community that accepts the ultimate authority of the rabbi.