Liberal Jewish rabbis are distancing themselves further from their Orthodox colleagues after agreeing to bless mixed marriages of Jewish congregants to non-Jewish partners in their synagogues.
The Union of Liberal and Progressive Synagogues, representing about 10% of active Jews, adopted the new guidelines at a recent rabbinic conference, in a move it claims will help to preserve rather than undermine Jewish identity in Britain.
Members of the majority Orthodox Jewish community refuse to acknowledge mixed faith unions as valid, or even to announce them to their communities.
Harriet Karsh, the ULPS's interim operations executive, said future marriage blessings in liberal synagogues would not be seen as Jewish weddings or have status in Jewish or civil law. The synagogues will for the first time, however, not only allow blessings to take place in public but will also allow non-Jewish clergy to be present.
She said: "If a couple choose to live a Jewish life and the rabbi has satisfied himself that they will bring up their children as Jewish, and they are not just wanting a blessing because it would be fun, we will embrace them. These are peoplemaking a positive statement."
The Jewish Chronicle reports today that among the congregations anxious to permit such blessings is one of the most prominent, the Liberal Jewish Synagogue in St John's Wood, north London. But it will be left to individual rabbis to decide whether they wish to adopt the change.