Matrilineality in Judaism

In Judaism, matrilineality or matrilineal descent is the tracing of Jewish descent through the maternal lineage. According to traditional halakha, Jewish descent is matrilineal: the child of a Jewish mother is automatically Jewish, while the child of a non-Jewish mother is non-Jewish unless they have converted to Judaism.

In contemporary Judaism, the Orthodox and Conservative movements observe matrilineal descent, while the Reform and Reconstructionist movements in the United States accept one as Jewish based on either a Jewish mother or father. Reform responsa additionally requires an exclusively Jewish upbringing. Karaite Jews generally practice patrilineal descent.

The origin of matrilineality in Judaism is disputed, but according to many modern academic opinions, it was likely instituted in either the early Tannaitic period (c. 10–70 CE) or the time of Ezra (c. 460 BCE).