motives leading them to the desire to become Jewish . The difference between us and Orthodoxy, however, is this: Theoretically, but not actually, in Orthodoxy if a person comes to be converted for the purpose of marrying a Jew, this is deemed unworthy, but with us, we consider that the desire to establish a home of unified spiritual mood is a worthy motive. We do not consider that if a candidate wants to be married to a Jew this is unworthy at all. See the relevant section from the report of the Central Conference of American Rabbis on“Mixed Marriages and Intermarriage,” CCAR Yearbook 57, 1947. This also answers Question 3.
4. Attitude toward a proselyte and a Cohen: Reform Judaism has abolished all differences in religious standing between Cohanim, Leviim, and other Jews . We are all deemed equal. Question 4, therefore, has no meaning for us.
5. A proselyte continuing with his non-Jewish spouse: We would consider this wrong for the reason indicated in a responsum that I wrote a few years ago that was published in the CCAR Journal and is found in Current Reform Responsa, p. 215.
6. Could a minor proselyte without his parents? No, we would not break up a family. With the consent of his parents, certainly. This is already mentioned in the Talmud in Ketubah 11a.
7. As to the status of a minor who did not proselytize while his parents did, we have made a new provision for children whose parents have become Jewish . The change is in accordance with our general principle: Since the ceremonials of circumcision and mikvah
are not so important to us as the instruction, we have decided that if such parents wish their child to be Jewish and enter him in our
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