Soc.Culture.Jewish Newsgroups Frequently Asked Questions and Answers URL: www.scjfaq.org/faq/10-05.html

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Question 10.5:
Is objection to intermarriage a form of bigotry?

The traditional objection to intermarriage is simply that it is one of the 613 Mitzvot (commandments) that a Jew cannot and may not marry a non-Jew. Of course one may and should look for reasons for this Mitzvah, but the bottom line is that Mitzvot are done because they were commanded by G-d.

Is this bigotry? Perhaps. Yet such exclusiveness is common in religion -- and not just Judaism. On the other hand, the dictionary definition of a bigot is "A person who is rigidly devoted to his own group, religion, race, or politics and is intolerant of those who differ." Although Jews are devoted to their own group or religion, they are not intolerant of the other groups. Rather, the attitude is "live and let live", and if one wants to become part of the Jewish community, one should join the community.

The FAQ is a collection of documents that is an attempt to answer questions that are continually asked on the soc.culture.jewish family of newsgroups. It was written by cooperating laypeople from the various Judaic movements. You should not make any assumption as to accuracy and/or authoritativeness of the answers provided herein. In all cases, it is always best to consult a competent authority--your local rabbi is a good place to start.

Hopefully, the FAQ will provide the answer to your questions. If it doesn't, please drop Email to questions@scjfaq.org. The FAQ maintainer will endeavor to direct your query to an appropriate individual that can answer it. If you would like to be part of the group to which the maintainer directs questions, please drop a note to the FAQ maintainer at maintainer@scjfaq.org.

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