Descent and Dissent: Interfaith Marriage and Reform Judaism’s 1983 Resolution of Patrilineal Descent

Sage Lattman ‘25

In an effort to respond to the rising rates of Jewish intermarriage, the North American Reform Jewish movement decided to accept Jews by patrilineal descent, even though Jewish law determined descent through the maternal line. This lecture will demonstrate how the patrilineal descent decision was both a turning point for American Jews and a tension that had long existed in the community between individual freedom and communal responsibility.

Sage Lattman ‘25

Sage Lattman is a senior at Harvard University studying History. On campus, she has served as an editor and writer for The Harvard Crimson. Beyond Harvard, she interned at a women’s rights nonprofit in Santiago, Chile, and at CAA in the company’s book publishing division. Next year, she will be pursuing a Master's in Global Affairs at Tsinghua University in Beijing as a Schwarzman Scholar.

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