But despite initial attractions, relatively few seekers actually pursue instruction in Judaism from a Jewish teacher, with the intention of converting to Judaism. There are a number of reasons for this. Many perceive Judaism to be a “family religion,” into which one must be born. And those who do make efforts to investigate Judaism, are sometimes rebuffed by rabbis or lay people. Even non-Jews married to a practicing Jew, often report not being especially encouraged to convert by their Jewish spouse or his family. And even those rabbis who are not averse to working with one seeking to enter Judaism, sometimes believe it is their duty to “ritually” turn a candidate away twice before accepting them, or at least to act neutral until they are certain of the candidate's sincerity and seriousness.
There is a history behind the reluctance of some Jews, to embrace those seeking to join the Jewish faith. Although it is impossible to adequately give account in the context of this brief essay, suffice it to say that during the past 1,800 years Jews have mostly lived as communities in exile, in Christian and Muslim-ruled lands. Until remarkably recently, these Jewish communities have often accepted converts only at their own peril from host rulers and clerics. Malefactors seeking to bring harm upon the Jewish community often posed as individuals interested in conversion to Judaism, in order to entrap a community. Even though such conditions are a thing of the past in most of today’s Jewish communities, Jews understandably have a long collective memory where such persecution is concerned. And today, in the West, there is the phenomenon of hate groups who endeavor to infiltrate Jewish communities for their own purposes. Given these realities, Jewish communities can be understandably wary of outsiders wanting in.
But there is another reason why, since the rise of Christianity and Islam as the dominant religions in the areas of the Jewish Diaspora, converts to Judaism from those faiths have not been sought but discouraged. Since monotheism spread via Judaism’s daughter religions, Judaism has ceased to see itself as the Only Way to the One God. Any human being is seen to hold to the keys to righteousness, if only he or she follows the Seven Laws of the Children of Noah, also known as the “Noahide Covenant.” These are: (1) Establish and maintain a system of justice; (2) Refrain from idolatry; (3) Refrain from blasphemy against God; (4) Refrain from murder; (5) Refrain from stealing; (6) Refrain from immoral sexual practices; and (7) Refrain from cruelty to animals. (See my separate essay entitled: “ For the Sake of heaven: What Does God Expect of Us?”)
At the same time, Jews hold that their status as members of a “Chosen People” means that a more stringent code of conduct applies to them. Specifically, Jewish authorities have identified 613 Commandments either explicit or implicit in the Scriptures, all incumbent upon the Jew!
While certainly many Christians and Muslims can be said to be in violation of one or more of the Seven Laws, we do not take that as an indictment of either religion – just as Jews’ transgressing of their own, more stringent code should not constitute an indictment of Judaism. And most Jewish authorities hold that the basic teachings of Christianity and Islam (except in certain extreme forms) do not contravene the Noahide Covenant. Therefore, there is no compelling reason to proselytize a Christian or a Muslim to the Jewish faith. When Jews were surrounded by pagans and idolators, it was a different story; then, Jews did actively proselytize.
In fact, the proselytizing tendency in Judaism, in late antiquity at least until the destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE/AD), was so strong that in the Roman Empire, converts comprised a significant proportion of the various Jewish communities, particularly outside the province of Judaea. A number of Judaism’s greatest sages are identified as being converts, and indeed David, the great warrior-poet-king of antiquity, was the great-grandson of a convert. (Ruth 4:17).
Conversion to Judaism, strictly speaking, consists of three steps: (1) accepting the “Yoke of the Commandments”; (2) ritual circumcision (for male converts only); and (3) immersion in a ritual pool or in a live body of water.
That said, the actual process is a bit complex, though not unlike the process of adult conversion into the “liturgical” Christian churches, such as the Roman Catholic Church. The intent of the process is to afford the potential convert the opportunity to deal with the difficulty of not only adopting a new lifestyle and world-view, but also of grafting oneself into a new faith community. Because we do not believe that Jews alone rate God’s favor (see above on the Noahide Covenant), we do not accept converts instantly and without reservations. Rather, we counsel the would-be convert to take time to “try on” Judaism: to sample a year or so of Jewish observance and involvement in the community, at the same time studying and reflecting under the guidance of a rabbi.
The precise length of time of the process will vary, and the exact sequence of events will depend on the community. In basic terms, though, it is up to the potential convert to find a community and a rabbi with whom they feel comfortable. Sometimes an educated lay person actually teaches and guides potential converts, under the supervision of the sponsoring rabbi. The potential convert attends community observances and engages in a program of guided study. When the sponsoring rabbi feels the candidate is ready, s/he presents the candidate to a beit din, a panel of three rabbis, for examination. If the beit din believes that the candidate has truly internalized an acceptance of the Commandments, the two confirming rituals of circumcision (for males only) and immersion follow. The convert is then accepted into the congregation as a full-fledged member. But the conversion should not be seen as a “completion,” rather as a beginning of the next phase in one’s Jewish life “voyage.”
Suggestions for further reading:
Basic Judaism. Milton Steinberg.
Choosing a Jewish Life: A Handbook for People Converting to Judaism and their Family and Friends. Anita Diamant.
Choosing Judaism. Lydia Kukoff.
Converting to Judaism – Choosing to be Chosen: Personal Stories. Rabbi Bernice K. Weiss, ed.
Embracing the Covenant: Converts to Judaism Talk About Why and How. Rabbi Allan L. Berkowitz & Patti Moskovitz, eds.
Every Person’s Guide to Judaism. Stephen J. Einstein and Lydia Kukoff.
This is My God. Herman Wouk
To Be a Jew. Rabbi Hayim Halevi Donin
All the above titles are usually available through various internet-based book services. You also might check out the
Conversion to Judaism Homepage.