I just joined the community and this is my first post, but I have been looking through the archives and I am so glad that a community like this exists!

Is there a single term that encompasses what an individual is while they are in the process of converting? I do not want to have to explain the conversion process to everybody who asks why I do not ( Read more... )

Back story: I live with my mom and finally told her that I wanted to convert after like 4 yrs of wanting to tell her and she basically said that when I no longer lived under her roof I could do whatever I wanted. Which was better than her disowning me or something since she's a hard core catholic and made me go to parochial school for practically ( Read more... )

Hello, everyone! My name is Rachel. I was so happy to find this group, as I've been looking for JCB resources for some time now and had come up rather short in the internet forum department. :)

( Anywho, here's my story...so very tl;dr! )

Since this topic has come up a few times over the last couple of weeks I decided to do a post on it so that I could add tags and it would be easier to find and link to in the future.

This is my understanding as an orthodox Jew based on numerous conversations with a number of orthodox rabbis and orthodox converts about what they were told by their ( Read more... )

Some commentors at FailedMessiah are questioning the conversion to Judaism prior to their wedding of Rahm Emanuel’s wife, Amy Rule. They are of the “if it’s not Orthodox, it doesn’t count” approach towards conversion. Given that Rahm Emanuel and his family are active members of a Modern-Orthodox synagogue, with children attending a Jewish day ( Read more... )

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About two weeks ago I posted here about being apprehensive and uncomfortable with being "found out" as a convert. I spoke with my rabbi last night ( Read more... )

A good analysis on YUtopia although I think they missed a few things. Best quote IMHO:

While the GPS's emphasis on halakha is understandable, it is disturbing that the respect of the convert is largely ignored. Conversion is a complicated life changing process for an individual who must change his or her practices, relationships, and identity. One ( Read more... )

I was just wondering if anyone had contacted a synagogue that only has a cantor as their full-time leader (in other words, a small congregation) about conversion study/classes. Is that within their scope of work or is there a rule (spoken or otherwise) about only rabbis doing conversion work?