The short answer
Traditional halacha sets matrilineal descent; Reform accepted patrilineal descent in 1983 on the principle that Jewish identity can pass through either parent with a Jewish upbringing. The result is that some people are Jewish to one movement and not to another.
Why people ask this
Understanding the source of the disagreement helps families anticipate the consequences for children.
Key terms
- Patrilineal descent
- Jewish status inherited through the father.
Jewish perspectives
- Orthodox and Conservative/Masorti: matrilineal descent or conversion.
- Reform: either parent, with Jewish upbringing and identification.
Scholarly & historical context
The 1983 Reform resolution was a deliberate response to intermarriage and to changing understandings of identity.
What is agreed upon
Descent is one path to status; conversion is another.
Where the disagreement begins
Which parent transmits status, and what accompanying upbringing is required.
Practical consequences
For children of intermarriage, ask the communities you care about how they determine status.
Original sources
Related questions & knowledge graph
Ask privately
Continue exploring this question in private. Your question stays yours until you explicitly choose to share it — and sharing with a scholar always requires your consent first.
Public discussion
Public contributions are separately reviewed and approved. Beit Ha'Vaad never turns a private question into a public one without explicit consent.
Revision history
Scholarly corrections, source updates and substantive changes are versioned here. This question's current status — Disputed — is shown above.