A question that arises very frequently is about the appropriateness of having a brit milah ceremony when one of the parents of a newborn boy is not Jewish. This issue has become especially relevant since current statistics indicate that 3/5ths of young Jewish adults marry non-Jews. Technically, for orthodox Jews, this is a complex question. But for progressive Jews the answer is simple: the brit milah is in order.
The technical part arises because of the thorny issue in traditional Jewish circles as to who is actually a Jew. Traditional Jewish law says that only a child born of a Jewish mother is Jewish. If the father is Jewish and his wife is not, then according to this rubric the child would not be considered Jewish and would have to undergo a formal conversion.
But among more liberal Jews this is not the case. In 1983 at the convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis in Los Angeles—the ruling body of the Reform Movement—a resolution was passed declaring that “the child of one Jewish parent is under the presumption of Jewish descent” and that “this presumption of Jewish status of the offspring of any mixed marriage is to be established through appropriate and timely public and formal acts of identification with the Jewish faith and people”. Thus, the Reform Movement committed itself to the position that in any family where (1) one parent is Jewish and (2) there is the intention to bring the child up as a Jew, that child is considered Jewish. Hence it is totally appropriate to perform a brit milah ceremony for that child.
Providing a brit milah ceremony for a baby boy of a “mixed” couple makes sense for several reasons. The most important is that if the boy is going to be raised as a Jew, it is essential that he undergo a kosher brit milah ceremony. But even in households where “Jewishness” will not be a priority, giving the boy a proper bris eases his way in later life if that child decides to “become more Jewish” or marries a Jewish woman who adheres to more traditional values. Finally, it is often the case that many couples do not become involved in religious life—such as joining a temple or synagogue—until they have children. The birth of a new son is considered an ideal “teaching moment”—a perfect time for a family so inclined to reaffirm commitment to Judaism and its most important traditional practices.
An additional benefit of having a bris for the sons of “mixed’ couples is the opportunity it provides to teach the non-Jewish side of the family more about Jewish customs and traditions. Non-Jewish families often comment at the end of a brit milah ceremony how much they have learned and how much more they now appreciate Jewish rituals.