ujm (re: shidduchim), if someone is considering a shiduch and they don’t have a clear idea of their ancestry back to the point when their ancestors were frum, they will probably be considered a safek Jew, and asked to convert. This does cause a minor problem if the person is a male Kohen or a male Levi, and especially if the person is a female marrying a Kohen. Of course if the person is unable to be certain if any of their Jewish ancestors had kosher marriages before being totally OTD, and then a civil divorce, being a safek Jew as well as a safek Mamzer is resolved by conversion (cf: issues raised with remote communities whose marriages were kosher and whose divorces were not). NOTE that if some who is already Shomer Mitsvos, and discovers they may not be Jewish, wishes to convert, it isn’t a big problem since they already have the Jewish education and Torah lifestyle requried.
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