Conversion to Judaism
[5] According to Israel Bartal, then dean of the humanities faculty of the Hebrew University, "conversions to Judaism had a major impact on Jewish history in the ancient period and in the early Middle Ages".[7] Rabbi Marc Angel writes: The Hebrew ger (in post-Biblical times translated as "proselyte") literally means "resident" and refers to a non-Israelite who lived among the Israelite community.Rabbinic tradition interpreted the word ger as referring to proselytes..."[8]Angel's explanation of the literal meaning of "ger" as alien is borne out in biblical verses such as Lev 19:34: The stranger that sojourneth with you shall be unto you as the home-born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.Another verse which has been interpreted as referring to non-Jews converting to Judaism is Esther 8:17, although no process is described.In all branches of Judaism, a ger or giyoret is considered a full Jew; the literal meaning of "stranger", "resident", or "foreigner" refers to the convert's origin, not present status.Today, the process has become more centralized, with the conversion candidate having to convince a rabbi and the beth din of their sincerity, and there will usually be a considerable amount of study.[19][20] Reconstructionist Judaism values the symbolism of the conversion ritual, and encourages those who were not born of Jewish parents and who wish to convert to undergo this rite of passage.The Reconstructionist course of study for a prospective convert, which is determined by the rabbi and congregation the individual is working with, includes history, observance and beliefs, and learning how to make educated choices.The shift is better described as naturalization, affiliation, or adoption, reflecting alterations in family ties and cultural aspirations rather than fundamental belief changes.Joshua ben Hananiah argued that besides accepting Jewish beliefs and laws, a prospective convert to Judaism must undergo immersion in a mikveh.A similar controversy between the Shammaites and the Hillelites is given regarding a proselyte born without a foreskin: the former demanding the spilling of a drop of blood symbolic of the Brit Milah, thereby entering into the covenant; the latter declaring it to be unnecessary.Josephus in Antiquities of the Jews, Book 20 Chapter 2, recorded the story of King Izates of Adiabene who decided to follow the Law of Moses at the advice of a Jewish merchant named Ananias.He was going to get circumcised, but his mother, Helen, who herself embraced the Jewish customs, advised against it on the grounds that the subjects would not stand to be ruled by someone who followed such "strange and foreign rites".Once Helen and Ananias found out, they were struck by great fear of the possible consequences, but as Josephus put it, God looked after Izates.As his reign was peaceful and blessed, Helen visited the Second Temple to thank God, and since there was a terrible famine at the time, she brought much food and aid to the people of Jerusalem.[28] The Amoraim who produced the Talmud set out basic requirements for conversion to Judaism (Keritot 8b), which must be witnessed and affirmed by a beth din (a rabbinical court composed of three Jewish males above the age of Bar Mitzvah).If the male who is converting has already been circumcised, then a ritual removal of a single drop of blood will take place (hatafat dam brit).Other rituals such as immersion in a mikvah, circumcision (or Hatafat dam brit), and a public ceremony to celebrate the conversion, are also at the discretion of the Rabbi.[34][35] In response to the tremendous variations that exist within the Reform community, the Conservative Jewish movement attempted to set a nuanced approach.The Chief Rabbinate of Israel, which is the only state-recognized authority on religious matters, backed by Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, ruled against this, making the annulment legally invalid for purposes of Israeli law.[40] In Denver, Colorado, a joint Orthodox, Traditional, Conservative and Reform Bet Din was formed to promote uniform standards for conversion to Judaism.This decision to redefine Jewish identity, as well as the designation of Denver as a pilot community for a new Reform out reach effort to recruit converts, convinced the Traditional and Conservative rabbis that they could no longer participate in the joint board...the national decision of the Reform rabbinate placed the Traditional and Conservative rabbis in an untenable position.Most notably, the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism has rejected patrilineal descent and requires formal conversion for anyone without a Jewish mother.All negotiating parties came to agreement:[citation needed] Many Reform rabbis took offense at the notion that the beth din must be strictly halakhic and Orthodox, but they acquiesced.Rabbi Moshe Sherer, Chairman of Agudath Israel World Organization, stated that "Yes we played a role in putting an end to that farce, and I'm proud we did."He stated that had this unified conversion plan not been destroyed, he wanted to extend this program to the area of halakhic Jewish divorces, thus ending the problem of mamzerut.A recent development has been the idea of annulling conversions to Judaism, sometimes many years after they have taken place, due to a reduction in religious observance or change of community by the convert.Rabbi Barry Freundel was arrested on charges of installing hidden cameras in a mikveh to film women converts undressing, the Israeli Chief Rabbinate said it would review the validity of all past conversions performed by Freundel, then quickly reversed its decision, clarifying that it was joining the Orthodox Rabbinical Council of America in affirming the validity of the conversions.In 2008 Israel's highest religious court invalidated the conversion of 40,000 Jews, mostly from Russian immigrant families, even though they had been approved by an Orthodox rabbi.[citation needed] A convert chooses his or her own Hebrew first name upon conversion but is traditionally known as the son or daughter of Abraham and Sarah, the first patriarch and matriarch in the Torah, often with the additional qualifier of "Avinu" (our father) and "Imenu" (our mother).[73][better source needed] In recent decades, there has been a renewed Jewish conversion interest with some Bnei Anusim, that is, the descendants of Jews who were forced to convert to other faiths.
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