circumcision had been turned into an issue by Paul, it was also a line of demarcation between Judaism and Christianity . Here was a debate over the basic direction which the movement would take.
American Reform Responsa
As we look at the later halakhic discussion of conversion and requirement for it, we will find that most of this has taken place through the responsa literature developed by the Responsa Committee of the Central Conference as well as the responsa written independently by Solomon B. Freehof and myself. These halakhic discussions have taken two forms. There is a large body of formal responsa as well as halakhic correspondence. As we analyze the subjects of these responsa, and we should remember that responsa by their very nature deal with specific questions or with unusual circumstances. One hundred and sixty-six responsa and halakhic letters have dealt with gerut or matters related to it. This is less than ten percent of a total of one thousand and ten responsa and an equal number of halakhic letters.”
The following subjects have been treated: adult status, including patrilineal descent: 36; children of a mixed marriage, their status or nature of their conversion: 43; education toward conversion: 12; relationship of a convert to her/his non-Jewish family, particularly in connection of funeral arrangement, burial, ete: 12; circumcision: 12; perspective convert or unconverted member of family participation on synagogue Or home rituals:7; Orthodox objections to Reform Conversion: 5; miqvaot: 5; name to be selected by the convert: 5; non-Jew as member of congregation: 5; apostate convert: 2; status of Unitarians/Ethical Culture: 2; Aliyah: 1; cantor or lay officiation and conversion: 3. The rest were miscellaneous issues and inquiries.
Among the early responsa was a question on the conversion of children in a mixed marriage. Kaufmann Kohler (1919) made it
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