I converted to Conservative Judaism for Shalom bayit.
I am curious about other Dopers who converted and the opinions of those of you lucky enough to have a Jewish Mother.
Mazal tov, carnivorous, I hope there always will be shalom b’bayit!
I suppose the OP doesn’t really apply to me, cause I have neither converted, nor do I have a Jewish mother, but that doesn’t really stop me. I’m a Reform Jew (my dad is Jewish), with the intention of eventually converting Conservative. How does the conversion process work? How did that all go?
I hope when I do it, it can be kind of ceremonial. I have already studied Hebrew and halacha and all that. I don’t want to spend a year studying to belong to a religion that I already feel a member of.
Well, what would you like to know?
Do you mean “the opinions of Jews by birth on the subject of Jews by choice” or “the opinions of Jews by birth on any subject under the sun”?
Mazal Tov! I’m probably what you would call a conserva-dox jew. But i wanted to say congrats!
You’d make my mom proud carnivorous, and to think, I went from conservodox Jew (just ask my sister wacky)to Buddhist. Did they dunk you a tank yet?
Seriously, congratulations on finding your path in life. I think it takes balls to reach out and explore something other than what you’ve grown up with, and come into accepting it as your way of life if it’s truly how you feel.
I was raised by a mostly non-practicing Episcopalian mother and a Reform Jew stepfather. Judaism always appealed to me, and I’ve considered converting for a while now, but I have absolutely no idea how I’d begin. How does one start that path?
Not myself, but my old roommate converted under the guidance of a Reform, a Conservative, and an Orthodox Rabbi, and is now a Conservative Rabbi. For those looking to convert to Conservative or Reform Judaism, there is an issue that, if you are converted under the guidance of a Reform or Conservative rabbi, many/most Orthodox will not accept you as Jewish.
Sua
carnivorousplant:
Opinions on what, exactly?
Drain Bead:
With intense study of what Judaism is: historically, and how it relates to modern life. As a member of the SDMB and of a pluralistic society in general, I would never be so rude as to suggest that you only study under Orthodox auspices, but I’d certainly recommend that an Orthodox Rabbi/study program at least be amongst those resources that you choose to utilize.
Chaim Mattis Keller
Your comment about including Orthodox study for example, is appreciated.
While waiting for the Mikvah, the cover of a Holocaust book frightened me. Are you guys ever scared?
The basic drill for conversion is to study (a lot) about Judaism under the direction of a rabbi, then to appear before a bet din, a sort of court made up (typically) of three rabbis, who examine you to ensure that you’re sufficiently informed to make the decision, are sincere in your desire to convert, and are committed to accepting the obligations that Judaism entails.
In Conservative and Orthodox conversions, there’s also a ritual bath (a mikvah), as well as circumcision for uncircumcised males, and the hatafat dam brit (“covenant of the drop of blood”) for circumcised males (essentially a symbolic circumcision that consists of drawing a small amount of blood from the penis, usually with a syringe).
Larger communities often have begun “pooling resources” to serve those who are interested in converting. In my case, the Atlanta Rabbinical Association had just created an “Introduction to Judaism Collective” course for prospective converts that rabbis from most of the local congregations (Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform) agreed to recognize as the appropriate first step. Doing so allowed rabbis to ensure that persons coming to them to study had become acquainted with the basics of Jewish practice, belief, and history, and with at least the Hebrew alphabet. Obviously this is more efficient than having every prospective convert work individually with a rabbi from the start, but it also requires a community of a certain size to do it.
In the absence of such an opportunity, one could also investigate Intro to Judaism or History of Judaism courses at local colleges, etc. Any responsible rabbi of any denomination is going to insist that you understand fully what’s involved in being Jewish before you undertake those obligations (though naturally, since the Reform movement doesn’t regard them as “obligations”, the expectations there are somewhat lower).
Probably the best resource I can recommend on the topic is Anita Diamant’s book Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and for Their Family and Friends. Diamant has written a number of books on contemporary Jewish life and lifecycle events (weddings, having children, etc.) and does an excellent job of providing useful information, and pointers to other resources, while describing in a fairly even-handed and non-judgemental way the practices of the full spectrum of Jewish groups in America today. Also, she is herself married to a convert, so as with her books on Jewish weddings and having kids, she’s able to add her personal perspective. I wish this book had been around when I set out along the road to conversion. Lawrence Epstein’s Conversion to Judaism : A Guidebook has also been mentioned to me in glowing terms by others, but I haven’t read it myself.