Today in class, as we were studying the words of the Torah, an interesting question was raised: should intermarriage be allowed? And if so, what will the consequences be?
Simply defined, an intermarried couple is where one of two spouses isn't Jewish. To some, intermarriage creates problems regarding the continuation of the Jewish people. If two people are in-love and married, and don't share a similar religious view, it could impact how they raise their children. But at the same time, if they're in-love, who am I to tell them they can't be married?
In my opinion, it runs along the lines of the ongoing fight for gay marriage and LGBT equality. If two men or two women are in-love, then they should be allowed to live their life and get married. I am not in any position to tell them that they can't be happy with the one they love.
My sister recently got engaged, and her fiancee isn't Jewish. Of course it raised conflicts in my family, (especially with my grandma who is very traditional), but after thinking more about it, we realized that it shouldn't stop my sister from being with who she's in-love with. Judaism is too important to my sister to not raise her family Jewish. Her fiancee, Rob, and she have talked about their future (including children..ahhh!!) and have come to the agreement of continuing the family religion. It has always been important to my sister to raise her children Jewish, and Rob only has the intentions of making my sister happy, which brings them to the definite conclusion of staying in the Jewish community.
As long as your spouse and you have talked about it, and have acknowledged how you want to raise your family, you don't need to "officially convert". One of my best friends has intermarried parents, and her dad never officially converted, but he considers himself 100% Jewish. They celebrate all holidays, and go to temple. I feel like if your in agreement with your religion, then converting spiritually and converting in your mind is enough. Your family's happiness is more important than putting a title on your religion.
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