Questions related to intermarriage

[Yaakov Mendel]

Assuming a Jewish man has children with a non-Jewish woman, is it even worse, according to the Halacha, if he is married to that woman or if he is not married ?

If he raises, at least partially, his children in a Jewish manner, and they go through a Halachic conversion process, can his intermarriage be forgiven ? I am asking from of the point of view of Torah judaism, not from a subjective or from a "progressive" judaism point of view.

Thank you if you have the answers.

[eb22]

This would be a great ' Ask JTF'  question to ask Chaim on the upcoming program or on a future program.

[Zelhar]

Good question indeed. First of all I don't think the child of a mixed marriage carries any blame on himself according to Jewish halacha.

I don't know what the halacha says, but I know in Israel The religious-national rabbis and public certainly have preference in favor of converting "half Jews". Most of the children from mixed marriage in Israel aren't Christians and if anything they are closer to Judaism than any other religion because they celebrate the Jewish holidays etc.

Charedi rabbis are not opposed to conversion but they try to limmit the conversion process for two reasons: 1. to show that they are the ones calling the shots. 2. Because they don't want to convert people who are then going to live a complete non-religious life.

BTW I think but I am not sure, that if the wife converts and the child is still young then the child can convert rather trivially. Similarly I think, adopted children from a gentile biological mother can also undergo speedy formal conversion.