Editor, Jewish Daily Bulletin,
My attention has been called to a brief paragraph in a late issue of the Bulletin with a head-line indicating that I favor intermarriage. As a matter of fact, there was nothing to that effect in your quotation of my position on this question. Far from being in favor of it, I am distinctly opposed to it, upon many grounds.
But—I do face the situation which confronts us, directly and without quibbling. I have not noticed that the orthodox practice of mourning the delinquent has stopped this tendency. All that it has done has been to cut off all possibility of retaining the family in the ranks of Israel.
The other method of enforced conversion is widely condemned on the ground of tending towards hypocrisy, which is opposed to Jewish ideals.
Our chief concern, in cases of mature determination upon intermarriage is to secure, as far as possible, the allegiance of the new family to the teachings and ethical principles of Judaism. This is done, in a direct, sensible way by insistence upon the children being reared in the Jewish faith. That is quite a different thing from being in favor of intermarriage.
Sincerely yours,
Clifton Harby Levy.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
