JewsByChoice.Org

Conversion To Judaism  Resources - v 1.0

Although JewsByChoice.Org is intended (more or less) for individuals who have already converted, as well as, Jews By Birth who are returning to Jewish life and observance, than it is for non-Jews interested in Judaism or Conversion. However, that being said, we have put together this resource page in order to help non-Jews interested in Judaism and/or conversion. Please note that we the Contributors to this blog (and especially, I, Avi, as the author of this article) are not Clergy nor Jewish Professionals and therefore, the following information should only be taken as personal opinion and not as professional advice.

What follows, is just one persons take on both Judaism and the Conversion process. So take what you find useful and leave the rest behind. Okay, enough with the disclaimers already. Let’s get the show on the road!

If you are interested in Judaism and/or are curious about conversion the best way to get things rolling, is by spending some time learning about Judaism as both a religion and culture. What follows barely scratches the surface in terms of the available information on this subject. Having said that, there is certainly enough here to get you started

What is Judaism

I view Judaism as an “Evolving Religious Civilization” which was a term first coined by Mordecai M. Kaplan, in the early part of the last century. Kaplan suggested (and I agree) that although Judaism is rooted in a religious foundation, it transcends mere religion and should simultaneously be seen as a civilization. This is because as a civilization, Judaism includes history, law, language, literature, music, poetry, art, social organization, rituals, folkways, social standards of conduct, spiritual ideals, and aesthetic values(not to mention a nation state). Judaism is not static; it is dynamic It is not monolithic; it is heterogeneous and pluralistic (D.Sasso 2002). All of which is (ideally) in my opinion rooted in a deep sense of religious commitment and history.

Anyhow that’s just my take, so feel free to take it with a grain of salt.

Below are links to several resources which will help you learn more about Judaism both as a culture and as a religion.

• Wikipedia is probably the best place to begin reading up on things because it’s free, their Judaism entry is massive and they also have some interesting information on Jewish Secular Culture!
• Another great resource is My Jewish Learning Dot Com because it’s another huge resource and it covers both religious and cultural topic’s from a variety of perspectives (Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, etc).
• Also the fine folks over at the BBC have put yet another, great resource for learning all about Judaism. Although the information is a little UK-centric the BBC Religion & Ethics entry on Judaism is very comprehensive and easy to navigate, so check it out.
• Then there is JewishFAQ.org (aka Judaism 101) which was the oldest online resources available. Although (I believe) it’s run and maintained by an Orthodox Jew, I think it does a great job of presenting information from a Broad spectrum of opinions and attitudes.
• Last but not least, I must mention Rabbi Jonathan Ginsburg’s large (and I might add growing) collection of YouTube video’s on everything Jewish. His Video’s tackles it all, from history, ritual observance, Jewish law, holidays, lifecycle events, to conversion and even interfaith subjects. It should be noted that Rabbi Ginsburg is a Conservative Rabbi and therefore his videos look at issues from that point of view. Having said that, I have no doubt that many of you will find, his videos to be an extremely valuable resource.

Streams of Judaism

Now that you have a better sense of both Judaism and Conversion, it’s time to learn a little about the different denominations that make up the American (Jewish) landscape. Please note that because our focus here at JBC.Org is on non-orthodox streams of Judaism, I will not be including much information on the Orthodox world and it’s approach to conversion. However, having said that, I will include at least one Orthodox resource. You know,in the spirit of providing, more complete information.

In North America Judaism can be broken down in to two main groups, Orthodox and Non-Orthodox. In my opinion the main (all though there are also many others) difference between the these two groups, is around the status of Halacha (Jewish Law). For the Orthodox Halacha is rooted in Divine Revelation and is as binding upon Jew’s today (that means 100%) as it was in the past. The non-Orthodox streams, which includes (among others) the Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist movements, either fully reject the binding nature of Jewish Law or, as in the case of Conservative Judaism, view it as binding but, constantly evolving and therefor can be amended under the right circumstances.

I can’t stress enough, how important it is (especially if one is thinking of Converting) to take the time to learn about the various Jewish denominations. I say this because they all approach Jewish, ideology, theology, observance and conversion from their own unique perspectives and set of standards. Which by the way, probably means that some movements are going to be a better fit for you, than others will be. Another important reason (again as a potential convert) for learning about these differences, is because, they have different Conversion standards. More importantly some movements don’t recognize the Converts of other movements, as legitimate Jews. That’s something important to keep in mind because you want to avoid problems down the road. My best advice to anybody thinking about conversion, is to take enough time (ideally before starting the process) to learn about all of the denominations and what they think of each other. If only so that when the time comes for you to decide how to proceed, you can make a more informed choice.

Here are a few more links to help get you started learning about the different denominations.

• The USCJ - United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
• The URJ - Union for Reform Judaism
• The JRF - Jewish Reconstructionist Federation
• The OU - Orthodox Union

What is Conversion to Judaism

Now that you have a better idea of what Judaism is all about, it’s time to learn a little about the how’s, who’s and why’s of conversion.

Conversion to Judaism is an extremely interesting subject and one I have written about before. I strongly believe that Conversion to Judaism is different than any other type of Religious Conversion process. I say this for several reasons but the main one is that, Conversion is not just a question of an individual accepting G-D and religious observance as, it is understood by the Jews. It is also a question of the (potential) Convert successfully being accepted into a Jewish community, as one of their own. So in this way conversion is very much a two way street and therefor not something a potential Convert can decide for him/herself alone. This in my opinion makes “Conversion” at least in this regard, very different than Conversion in to other faiths, like Christianity or Islam because such traditions do not (usually) require the same level of community acceptance. So even from a religious point of view conversion is never just between the (potential) convert and G-D. It is also about membership in a socio-cultural-political-spiritual community. In fact as I see it there is no Jew without community, especially when it comes to converts. In some way’s (for better or worse) as convert’s we are, only as Jewish as the communities who have accepted us. Ultimately, one can look at Jewish conversion, as being just as much about Immigration, as it is, about spirituality or religiosity.

Again, just my take, so feel free to disregard!

Below are links to several Conversion Resources.

• The Conversion to Judaism Resource Center is probably the most well known of all such resources. It’s a large resource, with lots of information, unfortunately it is seldom updated and has been know to go offline of months at a time. However Having said that, it is still probably the best place for you to start your research.
• Another great place to start is by looking at the Wikipedia “Conversion to Judaism” Entry because it provides an nice overview of the process including political considerations related to Conversion.
• A third decent resource is the About.com Conversion page, as it has several useful articles, including, one on the denominational differences when it comes to Conversion.

Choosing a Path To Conversion

Well, do you still want to convert? If so, it’s time to get a little more specific! Currently conversion’s, at least here in North America are still handled by the various denominations and so, you will eventually, need to pick one over the rest. I would like to suggest that there are some important things to keep in mind when choosing your path to conversion.

Below are two examples of questions I believe are worthy of consideration before one starts the process.

Are you willing to accept and meet the set standards of the community you are planning to convert into?

This is really in my opinion a no brain’er because you should know what you are getting yourself into. But in general I am referring to things like, can you accept the movements ideology/theology and standards of observance. For example if the community expects you to keep a stricter level of observance than you feel one should, you are sure to run in to problems. Better to know this stuff before you start, because it wouldn’t be fun finding out six months down the road that you aren’t prepared to me the communities standards.

Will the movement be able to meet you’re (anticipated) needs down the road?

This one is just as important (if not more so) than the one above and is (unfortunately) all too, often overlooked. People sometimes just pick the first place they find to convert, especially in smaller communities where options are limited. I know this was the case for me! For example, if you know you believe halacha is binding and that keeping Kosher is essential to Jewish Observance, you might not want to convert Reform. I say this for two reasons, one is that you will likely feel limited in a community that has a lower standard of Kashrut than you do. This might especially be problematic, if you keep a kosher home and find that you can’t eat at your synagogue, because it doesn’t have Kosher facilities and only serves kosher-style foods. More importantly if you try to find a more observant community, they might not accept you’re Conversion as valid because of the (perceived) lower standards of your sponsoring rabbi and/or the community you initially converted in to. If that’s the case you might find yourself back at square one.

Some times these types of problems can be avoided and other times they can’t but the bottom line is that it’s better to anticipate and plan than it is to ignore and just hope for the best.

So with the above in mind, here is some linkage to what the various non-Orthodox denominations have to say about conversion.

• The URJ has a page set up with ton’s of great information on the why’s and how’s of Conversion. Including a pamphlet titled “Becoming a Jew” as well as a helpful FAQ and some interesting first person stories from Converts.
• Unfortunately The JRF has very little available online on the subject of conversion. However their “Reconstructionist Approaches to Jewish ideas and Practices” FAQ (see point 9) does touch briefly on the subject. Also to get a sense of whether or not Reconstructionism is a good fit, you might want to check out “Perhaps You Belong In A Reconstructionist Community.”
• Unfortunately like the JRF the USCJ has very little available online about Conversion. However they do have “Considering Conversion to Judaism?” available on their website, which is worth checking. Also here is a PDF busting the Conservative Judaism is “Too Jewish” Myth.Finally I wanted to include a few links looking at the Conversion issue from an Orthodox point of view. After all the more information, the better!

  The first is a short article from the Aish people describing the basics of Conversion. Next is an article again on the Orthodox take this time from the Being Jewish site. Last, is one more from the Being Jewish people, this time calling the validity of Non-Orthodox Conversion in to question.

  Conclusion

  Judaism is a beautiful way of life and if her lovely voice calls out to you, then I say follow the sounds and see where they bring you. Just remember that joining the Tribe is as much about what you can bring to the community as it is about what you might get from it. Once you are ready to seriously consider Converting, it’s time to find one ore more local Rabbi’s in order to discuss you’re options.

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