Exogamy

Exogamy has long been an issue of controversy in Judaism. Exogamy is the act of choosing and reproducing with a life partner outside one’s defined group. In other words, exogamy is often referred to as intermarriage. Intermarriage is given a negative connotation because people see intermarriage as a threat to the Jewish religion. Some think intermarriage is the cause of Judaism’s shrinkage. One may wonder what religion the offspring of intermarriage relationships will be. Many believe that the children’s religion is determined by their mother’s religion. For example, if the mother is Catholic and the father is Jewish, the children will automatically be raised Catholic. I disagree with this belief/rule because children with Jewish fathers and Catholic mothers can just as well be raised Jewish. I know a family who has a Catholic mother and a Jewish father and each child was bar/bat mitzvahed. On the other side of the spectrum, my friend has a Jewish father and a Catholic mother but does not identify with the Jewish religion. He was baptized and attends church on a regular basis. Although he grew up in a Jewish town and attended many bar/bat mitzvahs in middle school, he identifies as a Catholic. In the near future, my brother will marry a “shiksa” or non Jewish woman. Nevertheless, despite the fact that his future wife is not Jewish, he knows that his children will be raised Jewish. They will take part in Jewish traditions including holidays and becoming a bar/bat mitzvah. It is the duty of the Jewish people to keep the religion going. Therefore, people who partake in intermarriages, whether the mother or father is Jewish, should raise their children Jewish.