# Jewish Converts: Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2000, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332 "2000-11-02T01:23:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/1 "2000-11-02T01:23:54Z")
As I understand it, Jews believe that a Gentile does NOT need to follow the Jewish law to get to heaven, but must only follow the seven Noahic laws. That means that a Gentile, even if he believes that the Jewish scriptures are God’s own absolute truth, doesn’t need to become a Jew to follow this belief. Yet, despite this, people do convert to the Jewish religion. My question is, why? Why would a person who’s not obligated by God to follow Jewish law want to take on that obligation for nothing in return? For that matter, why would the Jewish religion WANT converts in the first place? ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/2 "2000-11-02T01:25:28Z")
Lately, the answer to this question is “so she can marry a nice Jewish boy and make sure that their kids are Jewish, alleviating a possible massive coronary in the aforementioned NJB’s mother.” ---
**Author:** ![ricksummon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ricksummon/32/3333_2.png) [@ricksummon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricksummon)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/3 "2000-11-02T02:21:21Z")
I agree that conversion to marry a Jew is a valid reason, since Jews are forbidden to marry non-Jews strictly according to Jewish law. But are there any OTHER reasons to convert? ---
**Author:** ![Montfort](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Montfort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Montfort)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/4 "2000-11-02T03:02:43Z")
Well, Jews are not proselytisers, meaning: they don’t recruit (ever have a Jew knock on your door, holding up a Torah? Didn’t think so). So, basically, converting isn’t a list of priorities for Judaism – they don’t want you unless you **really** want them. [Note: I’m just bumping this thread so the usual suspects, zev and David, etc., see this in the morning.] [In other words: I’m probably wrong.] ---
**Author:** ![Lamia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Lamia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamia)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/5 "2000-11-02T03:26:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Montfort \* > \*\*Well, Jews are not proselytisers, meaning: they don’t recruit (ever have a Jew knock on your door, holding up a Torah? Didn’t think so). > > So, basically, converting isn’t a list of priorities for Judaism – they don’t want you unless you **really** want them. > > [Note: I’m just bumping this thread so the usual suspects, zev and David, etc., see this in the morning.] > > [In other words: I’m probably wrong.] \*\* A friend of mine is in the process of converting, and she says that far from _trying_ to convert people, Jews will _discourage_ people from converting unless they are really serious. ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/6 "2000-11-02T04:03:20Z")
One reason to convert is becauswe of the ceremony. While any old schmuck can go get communion, in order to participate in many of the Jewish rites and rituals, one has to be Jewish by blood or by conversion. * * * Yer pal, [Satan](http://www.members.tripod.com/jmspoofe/sdmb/satan.jpg) \*TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING: Six months, three weeks, three days, 2 hours, 4 minutes and 30 seconds. 8283 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,035.43. Extra time with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 18 hours, 15 minutes. **David B used me as a cite!** \* ---
**Author:** ![Brainz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Brainz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brainz)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/7 "2000-11-02T04:36:21Z")
To get a job in Hollywood, Music industry, Clothing industry etc. etc… ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 4:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/8 "2000-11-02T04:48:31Z")
ricksummon: > [@](#): > > Why would a person who’s not obligated by God to follow Jewish law want to take on that obligation for nothing in return? The answer lies in your mistaken premise. There _is_ something in return: a greater degree of closeness to G-d. Or, to put it another way, a “higher level” in heaven, so to speak. Jews don’t believe that all non-Jews are doomed to eternal torment and suffering, but they certainly believe that the more obligations one has and fulfills correctly, the greater reward one gets. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/9 "2000-11-02T06:00:10Z")
Reminds me of an Archie Bunker quote. He says this to Edith about Stephanie (before the episode when it was revealed she was Jewish) Archie) Edith don’t let her spend the weekend at the O’Brien’s; those people will be dragging her off to church. Let her stay with the Shapiro’s. That’s the one good thing about the Jews, they don’t want you. ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/10 "2000-11-02T07:24:11Z")
Why do people convert to any religion? I’ve known a few people who converted to Judaism on their own (that is, not because they were getting married), but it is generally considered rude to remind a convert that they weren’t born Jewish. In one case, though, the topic came up with an acquaintance, so I very politely asked her why she had decided to convert. She was raised nominally Catholic, with no Jewish background. Her answer was that she felt like she was looking for a spiritual home, and when she read about Judaism, it all seemed to make sense. She knew that was where she belonged. For her, it wasn’t enough just to be a good Gentile and follow the Noahide laws, she wanted to be Jewish. I imagine that this is the same motivation for most people who convert to any religion - being an accepted outsider is just not enough. FTR, this girl had not yet begun the conversion process when I knew her, and she was one of the most religious people I knew. There is a midrash that all converts to Judaism are, way, way, way back there in family history, Jewish. So they aren’t really strangers, but old family coming home. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/11 "2000-11-02T14:18:25Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kyla \* > \*\*Why do people convert to any religion? \*\* {shrug} Some people are joiners, what can you say? I’M still tryin’ to figure out the rationale for the Kiwanis. ---
**Author:** ![pezpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@pezpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pezpunk)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/12 "2000-11-02T14:28:07Z")
Don’t forget, Jews are the chosen ones. Do you really think that it’s easy to invite someone to be chosen by God? If it were, wouldn’t everyone convert? What’s really baffling is why would anyone convert AWAY from Judiasm? ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/13 "2000-11-02T14:40:51Z")
Answer: Because they believe in the tenents of the Jewish faith. As I mentioned before on this thread, my former roommate, now a Conservative rabbi, is a convert to Judaism. (In case anyone’s wondering, his conversion process was overseen by an Orthodox rabbi, so he’s a Jew by anyone’s standards.) To summarize his conversion experience, but to leave out the emotional elements, which aren’t mine to reveal, he was a deeply spiritual person, dedicated to G-d and desiring to serve his community, who had a slight problem … he didn’t believe in the divinity of JC. He underwent a spiritual crisis which ended in his leaving the faith of his birth, then embarked on an intense period of study of the Jewish faith. At the end of this period, he came to the conclusion that the Jewish faith was what he believed in, and started the conversion process. Getting into Heaven isn’t the only purpose to a religion. (To my understanding, the existence of Heaven is not universally accepted in Judaism anyway.) The work to be done on this planet is also pretty important. Sua ---
**Author:** ![Running\_with\_Scissors](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Running\_with\_Scissors](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Running_with_Scissors)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/14 "2000-11-02T15:13:46Z")
**Montfort** wrote: > [@](#): > > Well, Jews are not proselytisers, meaning: they don’t recruit (ever have a Jew knock on your door, holding up a Torah? Didn’t think so). Montfort, the image that this placed in my mind had me LOL. Thanks for a good laugh to start my day. However, Jews do proselytize to some extent - to other Jews, that they don’t consider as being religious enough. Ever seen the “Mitzvah tanks” in NYC? They have Orthodox Jews accosting people on the street asking them if they’re Jewish. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/15 "2000-11-02T15:14:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Brainz \* > \*\*To get a job in Hollywood, Music industry, Clothing industry > etc. etc… \*\* DNFTT Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Satan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Satan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Satan)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/16 "2000-11-02T16:01:50Z")
Also, I wouldn’t say that Jews are totally against proselytizing. When I was going through my spiritual awakening several months back, a Jewish person on this board sent me information about a group which goes around the country and looks for people like me: Jewish by blood but non-practicing. This group - can’t remember the name of it - will then go about trying to get the out-of-practice Jews to start practicing again. While they are definitely more discriminating than, say, the Mormon missionaries (if you ain’t a Jew by blood, they ain’t gonna try and get you to convert), this _IS_ a form of proselytizing, though my guess is that the group would say it is merely reinforcing it’s religion upon the people who should be practicing it anyway. Overall, the more I look into the Jewish faith, the more I like about it. Makes me glad to be a Jew! 🙂 * * * Yer pal, [Satan](http://www.members.tripod.com/jmspoofe/sdmb/satan.jpg) \*I HAVE BEEN SMOKE-FREE FOR: Six months, three weeks, three days, 14 hours, 7 minutes and 21 seconds. 8303 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,037.94. Extra life with Drain Bead: 4 weeks, 19 hours, 55 minutes. **David B used me as a cite!** \* ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/17 "2000-11-02T16:05:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by frogstein \* > \*\*Ever seen the “Mitzvah tanks” in NYC? They have Orthodox Jews accosting people on the street asking them if they’re Jewish. \*\* My usual response: “Baby, I ain’t even MONOTHEISTIC!” ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/18 "2000-11-02T16:17:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Montfort \* > **Well, Jews are not proselytisers, meaning: they don’t recruit (ever have a Jew knock on your door, holding up a Torah? Didn’t think so).** Montfort, you ever try carrying around one of those things? They get pretty heavy after a few minutes. This might explain why fundies always work in pairs. Why would people convert? The Jews do not believe that Jesus Christ is the savior. If you die a Christian not believing, you won’t be saved. Not so for the Jews. The Jews are the chosen people. This doesn’t mean we’re special, exactly, merely that we were chosen above all others to obey God’s laws and follow the commandments. If you too want to be “chosen” you’ll convert. The Jewish religion doesn’t recruit because they don’t want those who don’t come to them. You ask to convert and you _will_ be denied twice. You must ask them three times of your own volition before they accept. Most rabbis won’t even grant requests for reasons of marriage. You must come because you yourself want to become a Jew, not your fiance. Once you are converted, however, you are not a convert. You are a Jew. :j ---
**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/19 "2000-11-02T17:06:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Enderw23 \* > [snips all around] The Jewish religion doesn’t recruit because they don’t want those who don’t come to them. You ask to convert and you _will_ be denied twice. You must ask them three times of your own volition before they accept. Funny story - my former roommate, mentioned above, didn’t have a full appreciation of the conversion process when he started. He went to a rabbi in the chaplaincy at our college and said he wanted to convert, and the rabbi (metaphorically) threw him out. This rabbi had a reputation for being a bit crotchety, so my roomie figured he caught him in a bad mood, and decided to go to another rabbi on campus. The second rabbi was a bit too gentle with my roommate, and the message my roommate got was “think about it some more”, rather than “no.” A few days later, my roomie went back to see the second rabbi. He wasn’t available, but he ran into a third rabbi. He mentioned to the third rabbi his meetings with the other two, and the third rabbi started him on his way. It wasn’t until after the fact that Roomie realized he had been rejected twice. 🙂 Sua ---
**Author:** ![JoltSucker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d2c977/32.png) [@JoltSucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoltSucker)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2000, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332/20 "2000-11-02T20:29:40Z")
The point of Christianity is to be “saved”, i.e. to guarantee one’s entry into heaven. That’s why Baptist churches have calls for salvation **every** service. The point of Judaism is to obey G-d, with a hoped-for side effect of entry into heaven (if you believe in heaven). The Jewish perspective is, to paraphrase JFK, “Ask not what G-d can do for you, ask what you can do for G-d”. If someone finds the idea of living by a high ethical code appealling, and they’re not looking for a reward in the afterlife, then perhaps conversion to Judaism is for them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewish-converts-why/39332.md?page=2)