Can a Marriage take place in a temple between a Jewish and non Jewish person?

Answer 1

This is a rather controversial issue in Judaism. There are different denominations in Judaism...

so, the answer -- in Orthodox and Conservative Judaism, "no."

In Reform and Reconstructionist, the answer varies depending on the specific congregation and rabbi.

It is possible to find a rabbi who will officiate at a wedding between a Jew and gentile in a temple. Many rabbis who do officiate at interfaith weddings have criteria... e.g., s/he might only officiate if both partners agree to raise any children born as Jews. Or s/he might specify that it will be a Jewish ceremony, not an interfaith one. There are a small number of rabbis and cantors who will officiate at any wedding, with no criteria.

If you ask around, you will discover, however, that many Reform rabbis will not officiate at an interfaith ceremony. Hopefully, all of them will be willing to explain to you their reasons, and be warm and kind. Even rabbis who feel they cannot officiate at an interfaith wedding will warmly welcome the newlyweds to join and participate in their temple after the wedding, and almost all Reform congregations have many, many interfaith couples as active members and also usually have programs specifically geared towards interfaith couples.

While planning a wedding may (or may not) have challenges, being involved in Jewish life afterwards, an interfaith couple will be welcome and well supported.

• Jewish answer

Hopefully not. Intermarriage is gradually causing the disappearance of broad segments of the Jewish people.

In addition to the Torah's prohibition against intermarriage, there are very many cases in which the spouses use the religious difference as fuel to add to the flames once they're already fighting over other matters. Maintaining a marriage is hard enough without the interfering factor of different religious backgrounds.
Also, there is the question of how to raise the children. A seemingly kumbaya-type peace-loving interfaith education very often turns out to be confusing to the children, who now have no complete identity. Statistics show that mixed-marriage children are less likely to practice any religion at all, than are their single-faith peers (even those of minimally-religious homes).
In actual practice, intermarriage amounts to assimilation, the product of which is descendants who may no longer see themselves as part of the religious heritage of either parent.