Patrilineal Descent Controversy

Controversy over whether a child born of a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother may be automatically considered Jewish or must undergo conversion to be recognized as Jewish. According to Jewish law (halakhah), "Your son by an Israelite woman is called your son, but your son by a heathen woman is not called your son" (Kid. 68b). Thus, a child who is born of a Jewish mother is considered Jewish irrespective of the religion of the child's father or of the child's level of Jewish observance or knowledge. However, the child born of a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother, regardless of his Jewish practice or knowledge, is not recognized as a Jew.

In recent years this traditional means of determining a child's Jewish identity has been called into question by the Reform and Reconstructionist movements. In 1982, the Reform movement adopted patrilineal descent as a criterion for Jewishness. According to this view, the child of an Intermarriage between a Jewish father and a non-Jewish mother who is raised as a Jew and observes the duties of the Jewish life-cycle is considered Jewish without undergoing conversion. A child of a Jewish mother, regardless of the father's religion, is also Jewish. The Reconstructionist movement recognized patrilineal descent in 1983.

In response, in May 1984 the Rabbinical Assembly of the Conservative movement reaffirmed its commitment to matrilineal descent as the determining factor of a child's Jewishness. The Orthodox movement, following halakhah, recognizes only matrilineal descent.

Patrilineal descent was adopted by the Reform and Reconstructionist movements for a number of reasons. In light of the high intermarriage rates, it was felt that Judaism could not afford to exclude the children of these marriages as Jews, particularly when they are raised as Jewish. There is no biblical justification for matrilineal descent. According to the Bible, both the priesthood and inheritance are patrilineal. Matrilineal descent favors Jewish women, but penalizes Jewish men who choose to intermarry.

The Conservative and Orthodox movements feel that patrilineal descent goes against not only the halakhah but also the concept of Kelal Yisrael---the idea that all Jews must stand together in unity. In this view, individuals who consider themselves to be Jewish based on patrilineal descent may some day have their Jewishness called into question.

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