The Denver Jewish news., 1919-04-30
Intarrnarriase
A Ancient Problem.
BY. DIR, DE soLA POOL.
(ConIlnued from last weck)

by our religiOn--Judaism. 1t Is the
Jewish religion, with its unwaverMs
emphasis ON the Jewish seventh day
sabbath, its distinctive Jewish holy
days and festivals, its wealth of cere-
monial observances and its sublime re-
ligious literature, which has created
the Jewish people with ITS strongly
marked identity. If, then, every peo-
pie has the right to exist, and every
religion has the right to exist, we
Jews possess the right to existence IN
double measure For we have both
the material claims for survival OF
the race and the spiritual claims fof
survival of the religion. The Jew
who marries "out," therefore is act
ually marrying himself outside Of ms
people, and is marrying himself out
side of his religion. He is compitting
a double desertion. and is contributing
to the weakening both of his people
and of his religion by his personal de-
fection.
There is no difference of opinion
between Orthodox Jews aud Reform
jews in their attitude toward the
mixed marriage. 1t goes without say
ing that Orthodox Jewry with its coll
sistent emphasis on all distinctly jew
ish observances and its hope of u
Jewish restoration in Palestine re-
CARDS intermarriase as treason to tue
Jewish people and to Judaism. But
Reform Jewry is no less emphatic III
its condemnation of inter-marriage..
One of the early leaders Of Reform
Judaism in America has said that
every mixed marriage is a nail in the
coffin of Judaism. In less figurative
style, the reform Rabbis Of the United
States, meeting in conference in New
York City, in 1909, passed a resolution
declaring that mixed marriages are
contrary to the tradition of the jew
ish religion and should therefore be
discouraged by the American Rab-
hinate." No Rabbi, even the Most
itOCAAAs " AL o4kiNiAtS - -
rage unless the non-Jewish bride or
bridegroom has previously accepted
Judaism.
Value Of q Conversion.
Yet what docs this conversion usual
Iy mean? If experience had shown
that uixed marriages usually follow
ed convinced acceptance Of Judaism.
on the part of the non-Jewish ele-
Inent in the marriage, Jewish feeling
would do more oppose intermarriage
than Roman Catholic feeling opposes
il when the promise is given that the
children will be brought up in the
Catholic Church. hut almost uni
fermly, experience shows that mix
ed marriage is contracted more or
less hurriedly: and when the pen-
Jewish element in the union does un-
dcrtake conversion to Juduisnl. this
, conversion is in nine cases out Of
ten little more than superficial
form. 1t is usually undertaken TO
please the Jewish husband OF wife,
or to satisfy the Jewish parents-in-
l,lw Jewish tradition demands that
IL prOsclyte. in order to be RECEIVED
into the fold of Judaism, shall accept
judaism for its own sake, aud not for
the sake of lOve affair. The ac-
ceptance Of Judaism must be an uc-
Iii ftfr
prolonged and intensive study of
Judaism, and sincere adoption oil
Jewish life and Jewish observances
for all time to come. vi how lnapy
converts who have accepted Judaism
for the sake of mixed marriage can
il be said that Judaism mems any
life? OF not more than the fewest
Of ii small number can it be said
that their conversion is sincere and
that they constitute u real accession
10 the Jewish people. BUDDHISM aud
the Jewish people do not seek con
yerts. Fighting to maintain them
selves at all, they are not strong
enough to take into themselves amy
blood from the outside, unless this
blood will unite with and strengthen
their own Jewish life blood, Instead
of diluting it still further and max
ing their chances of Jewish life still
weaker.
Civil Marriage.
II is this consideration which makes
il apparent that for jew to marry
an unrelisious Christian woman. or
uu agnostic or unbeliever, it no less
detrimental to Judaism than for him
to marry an observant Christian. For