[Avodah] Rav Sternbuch's psak regarding kiruv of non-Jews

[M Cohen]

RDE writes..
..The big money seems to be going in the direction of Kiruv for non-Jews
(with some kind of Jewish identity) with the hope of converting them. A
friend of mine told me that on three separate occasions he was sent
guests for Shabbos from a Russian Kiruv program here in Jerusalem and
found out that they were all non-Jews. When he complained, the program
simply stopped sending him guests.

and then writes...
..Similarly there has been a major effort to actively pursue intermarried
couples and using various techniques - representative of the best American
marketing techniques - convince the non-Jewish spouse to convert.

imho, you have mixed two very different issues together

the first case is clearly controversial.
R sternbuch's psak is clear - and I think in line with the approach of the
major Kiruv organizations in NAmerica
(although I am not familiar with the L approach to this issue)

however the second case spoken about (and not mentioned in R sternbuch's
psak) is different.

in order to help the Jewish spouse of an intermarried couple, the Kiruv
worker typically has 2 approaches:
a) convince them to divorce their nonJ spouse
b) education and possible conversion of the nonJ spouse if they show true
interest in
halachic Judaism, torah, etc

I believe the latter is the approach of the major Kiruv organizations in
NAmerica towards this second issue,
where interest exists in the nonJ spouse to true torah judaism

I personally know of many fine frum families with children active in torah
and mitzvos
and the Jewish community where one half of the couple was originally nonJ
and the latter approach was taken.

(and sometimes one even finds that the converted spouse is the one who spurs
their spouse and family
to greater commitment to  torah and mitzvos than the bornJ one)

Mordechai Cohen
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