132 Selected Responsa
the conditions under which they returned to Judaism , as I have discussed in the responsum cited above.
Maimonides (1135-1204)prohibited a feigned acceptance of another religion in accordance with the Talmud , no Jew was to abandon his religion for another religion(Sefer Hamitzvot, Taaseh 9), as did Caro (1488-1575)(Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 157.1). The Shulhan Arukh had also stipulated very clearly that even at the risk of death, one can not declare,“I am not a Jew” (Yoreh Deah 157.2). The question of permitting apostasy was faced by Ephraim Oshry (Responsa Mema-amakim 13) and others during the Holocaust . And he answered it negatively, and stated that a Jew may not save himself through the purchase of a forged baptismal certificate, and thereby, try to join the partisans in the forest. However, there is also another line of thought which states that if a Jew is able to provide an ambiguous answer, which does not require an outright declaration that he is a Christian , such a declaration is considered acceptable(Isserles to Shulhan Arukh Yoreh Deah 157.2, in accord with Nimukei Yosef).
There were also instances, particularly in the medieval period, in which Jews wore Christian garb to save themselves. The surrounding world considered them to be Christians , and asked no questions. This, too, won the approval of the Shulhan Arukh(Yoreh Deah 157.2), although Maimonides disagreed (Sefer Mitzvot Lo Ta-aseh#30).
For Oshry during the Holocaust there was a difference between following a path which had the appearance of permanently abandoning Judaism , like using a baptismal certificate which he prohibited, and on the other hand using 2 forged Christian passport, a temporary measure, which he permitted. Similarly, he allowed an individual with a non-Jewish name to enter the letters R.K. into a passport, which stood for Roman Catholic in German, to the Nazis , but could be interpreted differently by the Jewish bearer. A parallel decision was given by