Rabbi-Sol,

As I'm sure you know, the intermarriage rate in the US is approaching 50% and, I've never heard of anyone in recent generations being excommunicated. My understanding of Jewish law is that the door is always open. You may recall that Bob Dylan converted to Christianity in the late-1970s, but was welcomed back to the fold by Lubavitchers several years later. It seems to me that accepting Jesus Christ as your personal saviour would be as serious, if not more so, than intermarrying.

And, of course, all denominations in Judaism have conversion programs for potential spouses of Jews.

I've also not known any families, in this day and age, who have sat Shiva for someone who has intermarried.

Of course, my personal experience is as a Reconstructionist who was raised in Conservative Judaism. However, I do have friends and relatives who are Orthodox (my personal experience with the ultra-Orthodox is from a distance).