Question:
Hello,
Thank you so much for your help.
The question relates to a daughter of a Jewish mother and non-Jewish father. When the father passes away, is the daughter required to observe the Jewish laws of mourning in anyway? Is she allowed to decide? Is there any prohibition to not observe Jewish mourning for a non-Jewish parent? So for example, she could listen to (kosher) music, and basically do anything normally allowed by halacha for a non-mourner for that year and beyond…
Thanks very much.
Answer:
A child that is born from a non-Jewish father and a Jewish mother is not considered related to the father, in the sense that she has to mourn him. This is because the child is not considered halachically connected to that parent. This is similar to a ger that doesn’t have to mourn their parent.
Best Wishes
Sources:
Yevamos 68b, Rambam Mamrim 5-10, Yoreh Deah 241-9, Minchas Chinuch 33.
