Welcome to the Forward’s coverage of conversion, the process by which those of other faiths adopt Judaism. Most streams of Judaism, unlike many other religions, do not evangelize.
Conversion
The Latest
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Fast Forward This 98-Year-Old Woman Converted To Judaism — After Winning A Raffle
Frances Bertetta, a 98-year-old woman from the San Francisco area, proved that it’s never too late to find your spiritual home — and a little luck doesn’t hurt. Bertetta originally fell in love with Judaism more than 70 years ago, when she attended the bar mitzvah of a friend’s son. Her love of Judaism was reignited…
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Yiddish World Jewish Converts in the Russian Empire
This article originally appeared in the Yiddish Forverts. Ellie R. Schainker, “Confessions of the Shtetl: Converts from Judaism in Imperial Russia, 1817-1906” (Stanford University Press) In Sholem Asch’s novel “Petersburg,” Madam Kvasnetsova, an interesting Jewish woman who has converted to Christianity, owns a house in St. Petersburg and an inn for Jews who come to…
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Fast Forward Israel Conversion Bill Draws Fire From Diaspora Jews
(JTA) — Jewish groups criticized a proposed Knesset bill that would require the state to recognize only conversions completed under the auspices of the haredi Orthodox-dominated Chief Rabbinate. Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, urged the Israeli government to reject the proposed legislation, calling it “another step down a path of…
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News Why Some See Judaism’s Future In Luring Converts — Taboo Or No
Rabbi Michael Feshbach has been offering introductory courses to Judaism at his Reform synagogue in Chevy Chase, Maryland, for the past seven years and attracts a range of students — unaffiliated Jews, non-Jewish spouses, even groups from nearby Christian churches. The small classes might meet in the sanctuary of Temple Shalom, where the rabbi will…
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Opinion Why Conversion Lite Won’t Fix The Intermarriage Problem
In a recent essay in The Jewish Week titled “Mikveh Can Solve Conversion Problem”, Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove presented a courageous attempt to address arguably the most pressing problem of 21st century American Jewry: intermarriage. Perhaps the most significant aspect of the problem of intermarriage is that for many Millennials, it is not a problem at…
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Fast Forward Orthodox Rabbinical Council Appoints New Conversion Director
The Orthodox Union’s rabbinic arm has created a new position to help smooth the conversion process. The Rabbinical Council of America announced Monday that Abby Lerner will be the first National Director of Conversion Services. Lerner will “assume responsibility for the support of candidates in their conversion process,” according to an RCA statement. She will…
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Life A Jewish Woman Finds Spiritual Meaning in Turning 40
I have something I have to admit, and like ripping off a Band-Aid, it’s probably best if I just come out with it: I – gulp! – turned 40 this year. Forty is the age when you are wise and mature and can learn Kabbalah, according to some sages. Or the age when you know…
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News ‘Online Conversion’ Fulfills Spiritual Dreams — But Stirs Controversy
(JTA) — The morning of her conversion to Judaism, Diana Sewell was so nervous she “was running around like a headless chicken” in her Australia home. Meanwhile, some 9,000 miles away in Georgia, her rabbi was dealing with computer difficulties. Neither of those things put a stop to Sewell fulfilling a 60-something-year-old dream of converting…
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