Nikita says: July 29, 2018 at 9:39 am
In a marriage where father is Jewish and mother is Hindu what faith does the child follow? does the mother have to convert to jew for the child to be jewish? Can the child be jew without the mother converting? -Nikita
Admin says:
Dear Nikita,
Please get back telling us if these information is helping you. Please you share more details that will help us help you.
We talked to several prestigious rabbis/Jewish leaders. This is what they have to say.
Rabbi #1: Today we talked to a well placed rabbi and this is the summary of our discussion (in our words, excuse any misunderstanding). Judaism started with patrilineal rule, during times of Abrahim, Moses etc. Later, there was a change and Jewish laws were written to be matrilineal. Any orthodox Jew will say only a Jewish mother will give birth to a Jew. Later, in nineteenth century, reform Judaism changed it to be both–meaning if father or mother is a Jew, he/she will give birth only to a Jewish child.
Is the Jewish person you are talking to is orthodox (most probably the case in India) or reform Jew? Even a reform Rabbi will say child will be Jewish only if he/she is raised in Jewish faith and following Jewish traditions. So, in the later case, where the Jewish father who married to a Hindu mother without conversion (probably by Hindu viviana) is not following Judaism for his life and did not raised his son as a Jew. Did that child has bar mitzvah/bet mitzvah? If not, that son may not be considered Jewish because he is not a Jew to begin with nor practiced it.
Rabbi #2: If a child is born to a Jewish mother, they are technically Jewish but it would also require practice and knowledge of the religion and customs. In the Reform Movement, if a child has a Jewish father and is raised in a Jewish home including Jewish instruction they are also considered Jewish. However, they are not considered Jewish in Conservative or Orthodox settings.
Rabbi #3: For traditional Jews – -Orthodox and Conservative, a person is Jewish either if they were born to a Jewish mother or if they converted to Judaism. For Reform Jews, if either parent is actively Jewish and the person has connected with Jewish community and religious practice, then they are considered Jewish in all respects.
Rabbi #4: The traditional answer is that it is transmitted at birth through the mother only. But half of American Judaism has ruled that it’s either parent (patrilineal vs. solely matrilineal descent). Here is an article : https://www.interfaithfamily.com/news_and_opinion/synagogues_and_the_jewish_community/art_1/
Jewish leader: In Reform Judaism you can be Jewish, with a Jewish father and gentile mother. However, in a conservative or orthodox congregation their Judaism may not be recognized. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/patrilineal-descent/
Let us know, yes/no, if this helps you. We will get more information if you wish. We hope to hear from you soon. Best wishes. -Admin
More information: Interfaith marriage with equality, Hindu-Jew Relationships, Bible on Hindus? Jew-Hindu Marriages, Marriage and Divorce Laws.
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Do not trust a Rabbi! The average Rabbi makes $140,000 a year, the next highest paid clergyperson makes only $40,000. The only person arrested in the United States for Organ Trafficking is a Rabbi and there is a long list of Rabbis convicted for a wide variety of offenses; bank fraud, money laundering, drug dealing, kidnapping, baby trafficking, murder… in short, most Rabbi are more concerned with making shekels and are not going to do anything that might jeopardize them making it…. Like telling people uncomfortable truths or telling people they are not allowed to be a Jew. They make money through donations from Jews, so telling anyone that they are not Jewish or even telling them anything people anything that they don’t want to hear is a quick way to lose donations.
According to the Torah, which is the basis of all Jewish thought AND IS NOT TO BE CHANGED, ADDED TO OR DIMINISHED FROM, Jews can only marry other Jews. Jews must only have sex with a person they are married to for reasons of procreation under penalty of death. Anyone born to parents of an illicit relationship…. Parents not married, both parents not Jewish and various of illegal relationships, IS NOT ALLOWED TO BE A JEW AND TEN GENERATIONS OF THERE OFFSPRING ARE NOT ALLOWED TO BE JEWS.
Can a person whose mother isn’t Jewish be a Jew? Absolutely, provided they are not of illegitimate birth of are within ten generations of an illegitimate birth. A person who has no Jewish ancestors can convert an become a Jew and is not to be though of in anyway different from any other Jew. In order to be a Jew, a person has to do what the person who converts has to do, seems obvious, right? Anyone who doesn’t agree with the Torah should stop thinking, telling and portraying themselves as Jewish. It is offensive and is not what the people who started Judaism wanted to happen. And it fosters and perpetuates fallacious thinking and behavior with people believing all they have to do is have certain ancestors instead of actually doing what is required by law according to authoritative text.
Reply at https://interfaithshaadi.org/jews-can-only-marry-other-jews/
Dear Nikita,
Please get back telling us if these information is helping you. Please you share more details that will help us help you.
We talked to several prestigious rabbis/Jewish leaders. This is what they have to say.
Rabbi #1: Today we talked to a well placed rabbi and this is the summary of our discussion (in my words, excuse any misunderstanding). Judaism started with patrilineal rule, during times of Abrahim, Moses etc. Later, there was a change and Jewish laws were written to be matrilineal. Any orthodox Jew will say only a Jewish mother will give birth to a Jew. Later, in nineteenth century, reform Judaism changed it to be both–meaning if father or mother is a Jew, he/she will give birth only to a Jewish child.
Is the Jewish person you are talking to is orthodox (most probably the case in India) or reform Jew? Even a reform Rabbi will say child will be Jewish only if he/she is raised in Jewish faith and following Jewish traditions. So, in the later case, where the Jewish father who married to a Hindu mother without conversion (probably by Hindu viviana) is not following Judaism for his life and did not raised his son as a Jew. Did that child has bar mitzvah/bet mitzvah? If not, that son may not be considered Jewish because he is not a Jew to begin with nor practiced it.
Rabbi #2: If a child is born to a Jewish mother, they are technically Jewish but it would also require practice and knowledge of the religion and customs. In the Reform Movement, if a child has a Jewish father and is raised in a Jewish home including Jewish instruction they are also considered Jewish. However, they are not considered Jewish in Conservative or Orthodox settings.
Rabbi #3: For traditional Jews – -Orthodox and Conservative, a person is Jewish either if they were born to a Jewish mother or if they converted to Judaism. For Reform Jews, if either parent is actively Jewish and the person has connected with Jewish community and religious practice, then they are considered Jewish in all respects.
Rabbi #4: The traditional answer is that it is transmitted at birth through the mother only. But half of American Judaism has ruled that it’s either parent (patrilineal vs. solely matrilineal descent). Here is an article : https://www.interfaithfamily.com/news_and_opinion/synagogues_and_the_jewish_community/art_1/
Jewish leader: In Reform Judaism you can be Jewish, with a Jewish father and gentile mother. However, in a conservative or orthodox congregation their Judaism may not be recognized. https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/patrilineal-descent/
Let us know, yes/no, if this helps you. We will get more information if you wish. We hope to hear from you soon. Best wishes.
Dear attorney Haque, Amicus Curiae for SUPREME COURT OF INDIA,
Let us know how Indian marriage laws take these factors into consideration?
Another question, if a Jew marries to a Hindu by Hindu vivaha ceremony in India, is that marriage valid in eyes of the court/law? Do the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 applicable only if both parties are Hindus?
Admin, The marriage will be perfectly valid. Neither the administration nor any court of law will interefare in such matter.
Admin,What does the child know about religion in this tender age? Nikita wanted to know whether she is required to convert. I said no. I have also said that parents should decide what religion the child will follow and practice. Mother is a jew and she will desire that child should follow Jewish religion whereas hindu father will insist on hindu religion. But when he grows up he will take his own decision.
You are a lawyer/attorney so we are wondering why you stated, “The parents of the child are required to decide…” is there some laws in India that “require” parents to decide? Here, a Jew and a Hindu already married without conversion, so why the question of “labeling” child comes? Why not teach the child both faiths and let him/her decide his/her religious fate as an adult? Is there against any law?
sorry you have misunderstood me. I wanted to mean that an infant or child does not know what is religion and he or she is taught the same by the parents. As in my and your case we did not understand abc of religion during our infancy but we were taught by our parents.Isn’t it? Take the case of A.R.Rahman,Casius Clay and others who were taught of hinduism and chtistianity by their respective parents but when were grown up and achieved wisdom they were reverted to Islam. Similarly this child has the right to decide which religion he will practice when grows up.
By the same yardstick, will Mr. Haque also say most of the Khan stars and cricketer Zaheer Khan who’ve married Hindu women and almost practicing Hindu lifestyle have reverted back to their original faiths?
Hannah Khan,I am not an astrologer and therefore I can’t say what Zaheer Khan and others will do.But I am sure that they are either following Islam or not following any religion.
You’ve just nailed what the spirit-destroying cult says!
This is how a Muslim-dominated place will be: either you’ll follow Islam or not follow any faith at all!
Such a magnanimous, peace-loving, just population.
And of course, see the taqiya in it− AR Rehman has raised to international fame because of his family’s strong roots in music which is absolutely unIslamic. He cunningly leaves that legacy which he has earned strictly due to his Hindu roots.
But that’s business as usual for, Mr. Haque!
Nikita, The parents of the child are required to decide which religion he will follow now. However when he grows up then he will have the right and liberty to follow any region of his choice.In any case it is not at all mandatory for you to convert to Jewish religion. Md.Zia-ul-Haaue,B.Sc,LLB,Alim(Cal)
Mr. Haque,
Thank you for great advise to Nikita. However, we don’t agree to “The parents of the child are required to decide which religion he will follow now”. Is there a law in India to must declare the faith of children? We don’t believe so. Why not parents teach their child that the father is Jew and mother Hindu and teach both faiths and cultures? There is no need to “label” the child with “religion” stamp on his/her forehead!!
As per the custom, as said by Gokusan, Jewish are matrilineal. However, these days, there is nothing hard and fast rule about it. Apparently, this (we assume you) Jew and Hindu married without conversion and thus believe in respecting each other’s faith. Why not continue the same now? Why not you continue to be a Hindu and respect Judaism. Likewise, your husband remain a Jew and respect Hinduism. Give your sons/daughters Jewish and/or Hindu or non-religious names. Let them raise respecting both faiths and in both cultures, and at their majority age, let them decide their own faith. This is called liberty and justice for all.
Read more here https://www.interfaithshaadi.org/index.php/jew-hindu-marriage-1 and https://www.interfaithshaadi.org/index.php/hindu-jew-marriage-2.
Salam!
As far as I know a child born to a jew mother with whomever father may be is considered jew so there is no need for conversion. Jews are matrilineal. But the problem arises when the father is jew and mother is not then i guess conversion is necessary. However the conservative and the orthodox ones reject this.
However you can read the following article for farther knowledge
https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/converting-infants-and-children/
Gokusan, on your point “But the problem arises when the father is jew and mother is not then i guess conversion is necessary”, here the Jew-Hindu couple is already married without conversion. If religion was not an issue getting married, why now the mother has to convert to give a birth of a child? Why not the father convert to Hinduism now? Why not both remain what they are? Why not let the rose be rose and carnation be carnation? Why fake-conversion just to please some rabbi/pandit?
Admin,
The thing is it does not work that way . Jews are close knit community and you have to convert to follow Judaism, you cannot follow Judaism and Hinduism in the same time.
If the husband is supremacist exclusivist, he will be a love-Jihadi and will ask his wife to convert after pregnating her. If conversion was the objective, why that Jew married to the Hindu to start with? It is time to truly respect other faiths the way they are and stop saying “you cannot follow Judaism and Hinduism in the same time.” If your Muslim (cousin) sister is in love with a Jew, would you request her to convert to Judaism? If not, why Hindu have to convert?
You can respect religion without following it.I would ask the person to convert to Islam prior to marriage cause it is not permissible without conversion.
Gokusan, It is absolutely wrong to suggest a non Muslim to convert to Islam as,according to authentic Hadith,every child is born as Muslim but due to the influence of non Muslim parents/guardains he or she becomes non Muslims but when he or she accepts Islam he/she is then reveted and not converted.Md.Zia-ul-Haque